[Asia Economy Reporter Seol Gina] Smart glasses that look like sunglasses have been released. You can take photos and videos while wearing the glasses, as well as listen to music.
On the 9th (local time), Facebook announced the launch of the smart glasses 'Ray-Ban Stories' in collaboration with the sunglasses brand Ray-Ban. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, emphasized on his Facebook account that "smart glasses will be an important part of building the next-generation computing platform." The price starts at $299.
Ray-Ban Stories have a design almost identical to regular Ray-Ban sunglasses. Unless you notice the camera lenses located at the corners of the frames, it is difficult to recognize the difference. They are sold in Wayfarer, Round, and Meteor models. Facebook's logo cannot be found on the device.
The smart glasses are equipped with two 5-megapixel cameras, three microphones, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip, allowing you to listen to music or make calls while wearing the glasses. Using the touchpad built into the side of the frame, you can adjust the volume, play, or pause audio.
After taking photos or videos, you can upload them to your SNS accounts using an application. Users can press the button located on the right temple of the glasses to take a photo or record a video up to 30 seconds long at once. Saying 'Hey Facebook, take a photo (or a video)' activates voice recognition without using your hands. It takes about one hour to fully charge, and after a full charge, it can be used for six hours. A charging case connected via a 'USB-C' cable is also provided.
IT media outlet The Verge, in its review of Ray-Ban Stories, pointed out that "the camera is not as high-quality as the latest smartphones," but also noted that "it is difficult to know that there is a camera in the smart glasses, which could raise privacy concerns related to photo and video recording."
US economic media CNBC reported, "It was suitable for quickly capturing moments while on the move," adding, "It was useful when riding a bike for 9 miles in a national park and taking photos with the smart glasses. There was no need to take out the phone, which could be dangerous while riding or stopping."
Ray-Ban Stories do not include augmented reality (AR) features. It is expected to take more time before AR glasses are released.
Starting today, they are available online and at Ray-Ban stores in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, and the UK. From next week, they will also be released at US retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy.
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