These AR Binoculars Helped Me Unplug and Bathe in a Sea of Stars

I am an eternally curious hiker limited by my awful memory and paltry 5G signal. I may want to know the name of a valley underneath the cliff’s edge in North Cascades National Park in Washington state or the staggering peak most reminiscent of the Matterhorn nearby, but I’ll leave that trail in ignorance. That was why I was so intrigued by Unistellar’s Envision binoculars. The expensive pair of semi-AR spectacles can not only identify nearby mountains; they can finally reveal the constellations in the night sky if my day hike becomes a mad-scramble midnight jaunt.

I trekked with Unistellar cofounder and CEO Laurent Marfisi to try the device firsthand. We did not attend far outside of civilization—our sojourn took us an hour and a half north by train to Ossining, NY. The Envision binoculars were early prototypes with missing functions the company promised would be in the final product. The device was able to trace a line across the tops of nearby mountains along the Hudson River Valley. Along that line, it picked out the nearby peaks and offered names for them, from Hook Mountain 5.7 km away (imperial units will be available in the U.S. at launch), northwest to Jackie Jones Mountain, and beyond.

The rounded hilltops of the northern Appalachian Mountains were all outlined, though the camera view wasn’t always perfect. The binoculars draw their data from an app and use GPS and IMUs (inertial measurement units) to identify where you are in relation to those scenic landmarks. The line might go askew, in which case you need to use a button on the binoculars to drag the line into place, or what you hope is the correct position. The red line occupying the view in the right-side eyepiece reminded me most of an oscilloscope, an old-school lo-fi testing instrument made so recognizable for its distorted waves and lines displayed on CRT screens. Currently, the Envision binoculars can only identify one line of mountains, though Marifisi told me the company hopes to support two layers of mountain ranges at release.

A surprisingly disconnected spyglass

While you could describe the Envision as “AR binoculars,†that explanation doesn’t spell out just how disconnected the device is compared to other similar electronic spyglasses. Unistellar’s Envision binoculars are not designed for the avid birdwatcher. Swarovski Optik’s latest binoculars and monoculars are better if you hope to identify wildlife. The Envision cannot take photos, and they won’t share your latest hikes with your Instagram followers. The binoculars are a solitary experience, or else one you can pass off to friends on the hike beside you. It’s a personal device, and in that way, it was one of the most enjoyable devices I’ve laid my hands on in many moons.

I don’t have enough time to look up at the stars—even if I could through the noise of light from the city. I live in Brooklyn, NY, so my concept of “stars†is akin to marauders in a post-apocalyptic movie speaking about the fable of “the ocean†or “non-leather pants.†Even in Ossining, they are dim bulbs amid a sea of black. Unlike my colleagues on the science desk, I wouldn’t have an inkling which star clusters are where or what direction I need to face to find the Andromeda galaxy, 2.5 million light-years away from Earth.

You can set in the app which stars you want to look at, and the binoculars will show an arrow that grows larger as you angle your spyglasses in the right direction. You can also hit a button to set a target reticule so you can point out what your friend should look at when you hand the Envision off. There’s very little in the way of controls, otherwise. The Envision is locked at a 10X zoom. Other than adjusting the lenses to your eyes, you’re not using these binoculars to catch a high-detailed glimpse of far-off peaks and stars. There’s a separate button to turn off the AR overlay. Marfisi said there are still other features missing, including identifying trails, water sources, and other landmarks. The feature roadmap is extra long. Eventually, Unistellar hopes to add contextual information in the app, in case—like me—you’re a night sky novice and you want an info dump about the various star clusters and constellations.

A long road ahead

Unistellar is mostly known for its series of expensive smart telescopes like the eQuinox 2 from 2023 and 2024’s Odyssey. The company’s latest product went up on Kickstarter last year with a promised retail price of $1,200 if you didn’t get in early. The Envision is slated for mass production in April next year and a late 2026 release with a promised $1,000 retail price if you’re an early bird, though the actual MSRP may be closer to $1,500. Marfisi was open about how Trump tariffs exacerbated the price. As is often the case, the company can’t source the necessary parts from Western manufacturing. Preorders could start shipping in October 2026, but full retail availability may not be until 2027.

There’s a long roadmap to getting the Envision to where Unistellar needs it to be to fulfill its original promises on Kickstarter. The hardware is essentially finalized, though the orientation system and UI still need work. The binoculars are heavy enough that if you’re looking up into the sky for too long your arms will start to burn. At least it supports the 3/8-16 screw mount for tripods. Unistellar will also sell separate solar filters for gazing up toward the sun in 2027 (remember, always wear quality eclipse glasses to witness such solar events). Marfisi also discussed lunar filters, though those aren’t currently in production.

I’m stationed too far out from any place with a Bortle number (the scale used for night sky brightness) that lets me see the stars. I have no reason to lug around a telescope. Yes, $1,000 and especially $1,500 seem steep. On the rare occasions I can make it out, the Envision may be a way to help me at least partially disconnect, learn, and actually enjoy the scenery without looking at it through the lens of my phone.