Controversy over Hearview’s high prices and aggressive marketing
There is a big controversy in our community about Hearview glasses, which are AR smart glasses sold by a Chinese company called Xiao-I that allows people to read real-time transcription of spoken words on their glasses.
The major issue here is whether Xiao-I / Hearview is exploiting Deaf customers by repacking and rebranding what seems to be the exact same glasses made by another Chinese brand, Inmo Go, and selling them with a 400% markup with prices ranging from $1,999 to $1,399.
A Deaf content creator, Rica Freydel, is the key person who brought this issue to light when she did a series of videos on her Facebook page, “Rica’s Home,” beginning about last week. If you haven’t, you can go on her page and see her vlogs beginning on December 12.
She ordered an Inmo Go glasses for about $300 and showed evidence that it could offer voice transcription.
[Video clip] Credit: Facebook/Rica’s Home]
Rica Freydel: They charge $1,300?! Most of us don’t have the luxury to spend $1,300 for eyewear. So I did research and found this Inmo device that’s worth $300. That’s a grand less. Again, an emphasis here that I ordered through AliExpress. I’m being honest here. You can buy it on eBay.
I’m going to unbox it now.
You can see the green light.
This is the same product that Hearview uses. This is called an Inmo Go. $300. Save your money! Don’t buy Hearview.
Inmo Go. This is the same product that they’re using.
Same thing. Same thing.
[End video clip]
Alex: Rica did a side-by-side comparison with a Deaf friend of hers who had Hearview glasses.
[Video clip of Rica with her friend.] Credit: Facebook/Rica’s Home]
Friend: The same thing.
Rica: It looks the same.
We looked at it and it’s exactly the same.
What are your thoughts on whether they’re similar?
Friend: Yes, they’re the same. But hers seems to have more features. But it doesn’t bother me because I don’t use those features. However, I wish the price was a little lower. Because I have less features.
Rica: That makes sense.
[End video clip]
Rica pretty much proved that the $300 Inmo Go glasses and the $1,300-$1,999 Hearview glasses were essentially the same device that offered the same transcription abilities with the only difference being the branding and more features in the Inmo Go’s app.
I reached out to Hearview/Xiao-I for their response on why their devices were worth 250% to 400% more than Inmo Go glasses. I also asked how they could compete with Inmo Go now that Deaf people are aware they could get their products for much lower prices. A representative from Hearview offered to provide a written response via email but has not sent anything by the deadline. If they do send a response, I will add it to the comments section.
I reached out to Rica to ask what made her do these videos and exposes in the first place. Rica said she is a “geek at heart” and loves playing with new tech gadgets. She’s tried various smart or AR glasses before and when she saw that Hearview glasses cost over $1,300, she thought it was ridiculous. She said she did research on the glasses from looking at the images on Deaf influencers’ videos and that’s how she found out they were Inmo Go glasses. She said when she found out that the glasses were essentially the same as Inmo Go, she felt like it was a “slap in the face.”
The second part of this controversy has to do with Hearview’s aggressive strategy to market its products to the U.S. Deaf community through partnership deals with the NAD and Deafopia and by giving their products to popular Deaf influencers in exchange for them posting videos about the glasses. As a result, Hearview received valuable publicity by showing their proximity with the NAD CEO and ability to penetrate Deaf social media, which probably resulted in even more sales of their $1,999 glasses.
Now, let’s go to the NAD. I was there at the NAD Conference in Chicago and on the last day of the conference, I saw several Hearview officials meeting with NAD Board members and showing them their products. I remember NAD’s Interim CEO Bobbie Beth Scoggins explaining that Hearview was interested in sponsoring their next conference in 2026.
Not long after that, Hearview announced that they entered into a “strategic partnership” with the NAD to develop AI solutions for deaf communication. This went under the radar until Rica posted her videos comparing Hearview and Inmo Go glasses. Rica brought up that the NAD and Hearview had some kind of collaboration. I reached out to the NAD and they told me that they would post a press statement the next day, which they did on December 18. Here is a clip.
[Clip of NAD Statement by Interim CEO Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Credit: YouTube/NAD)
Bobbie Beth Scoggins: During the conference, as people were mingling, their CEO approached the NAD about signing an agreement on potentially becoming the 2026 NAD Conference sponsor in San Francisco and on a few other things. I was okay with it. But I recently learned that they did a press release announcing that they had a strategic partnership with the NAD. I was shocked. That statement was made without our knowledge. I’ve asked them to remove this misleading statement to prevent further confusion. Additionally, there are concerns on social media about the difference in prices between Hearview and Inmo Go’s devices. I’m concerned as well. But I want to clarify that our mission is civil rights advocacy. We are not here to evaluate products and services.
[End video]
Alex: So, you see that the NAD/Hearview collaboration is mainly about a potential sponsorship agreement for the 2026 conference. This is typical of NAD to seek major sponsors and they have done this for years. We also see that the NAD criticized how Hearview used the terms, “strategic partnership” and called on them to remove that statement.
I followed up with the NAD by asking them if they can share the details of the sponsorship agreement for 2026. Scoggins said there is nothing confirmed as the discussions were preliminary and that there were no formal agreements or commitments.
I did ask Hearview/Xiao-I on what their response was to the NAD’s statement that they made misleading statements on having a strategic partnership, but like I mentioned before, they did not respond to my list of questions. If they do, I’ll add it in the comments section.
Now, I’m going to go back to the issue of Deaf influencers on social media making videos about the Hearview device. I was able to chat with Melissa Elmira Yingst of “Melmira” about her experience with Hearview. I saw that she made videos about the device. I asked her what led her to do her videos and whether she knew that there were the same kind of glasses for sale for much lower prices.
Melissa “Melmira” Yingst: (Hearview) reached out to various creators to market the glasses. At first, I was a bit skeptical but curious. Then I saw some videos by people who had strong facial expressions. I noticed that these people can talk and can hear a bit. I was curious about what it’s like for me as a 100% Deaf person. I can’t talk and hear nothing. So I decided to accept the marketing and get it. They were very clear that I could do an honest review. When I got it and wore it, it was neat. I did a vlog that pretty much explains everything about how it’s a neat tool but it’s not a magical solution for everything. Honestly, no. I also did acknowledge in my vlog that the device was very expensive. So did I know at the time that there was another model that was cheaper? Honestly, no, I didn’t know at that time.
Alex: I asked Melmira what her feelings and thoughts were on Hearview's high prices.
Melmira: I will say that Hearview did send an email with some clarifications after Rica’s vlogs. Hearview did email us. They clarified about some features that are not add-on prices, about how they don’t charge a subscription, and other things. I responded by encouraging Hearview to do something with communication. I shared with Hearview that transparency is important in the Deaf community. I encouraged Hearview to go ahead and say something in public, while using their platform. I feel that many influencers are “caught” and stuck in this. It’s not fair to put it all on us to clear up this mess. I do feel that Hearview owes it to the community to say something and be transparent with them. That’s what I shared with Hearview and I hope they do follow through with some kind of statement.
Alex: Thank you so much, Melmira, for being willing to share your thoughts.
I want to show you a clip of a Facebook vlog by Sam Sepah, a Deaf employee at Google who leads their Sign Language AI division. His vlog was based on his personal views, he was not speaking for Google. He made a point that Hearview’s product is not the best for Deaf customers and for Deaf influencers to stop blindly promoting it.
[Video clip by Sam Sepah. Credit: Facebook/Sam Sepah]
Sam Sepah: This is my personal message to the Deaf community. I personally have tried countless new technologies like smart glasses, VR, and AR headsets. These devices often do not meet needs for Deaf users, because captains are always in the center of the lens, blocking our natural eye contact. Another issue such as… Lighting issues, captions are hard to read in different lighting conditions. It’s not easily reliable. Thirdly, as you know what is most important? Smart glasses like Hearview devices only show what others say, not a two-way conversation like sign language. Google has listened to my feedback and knows these products aren’t ready for Deaf consumers. Other companies, like Xiao-I, have paid Deaf creators with huge cash and sales commissions. You guys, Deaf creators, I personally challenge you, stop selling out for a quick buck. Join us in the fight for true communication equality.
[End video]
Alex: Thank you, Sepah, for that powerful message.
So, this is all that I have to share about the Hearview device and the controversy over its prices and marketing strategies. I want to show deep gratitude to Rica for making this issue known to the wider Deaf community. Links to the vlogs are in the transcript.
Rica’s Videos:
First “expose” https://www.facebook.com/ricashome/videos/1287024542426600/
Comparison: https://www.facebook.com/ricashome/videos/581357281502679
NAD Statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zKTe2YbYww
Sam Sepah Vlog: https://www.facebook.com/ssepah/videos/564759700044285
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