Facebook and Ray-Ban debut new smart glasses - Stories

(Pocket-lint) - Smart glasses aren't needfully a caller concept, but contempt Snapchat's efforts with Spectacles nary 1 has truly managed to marque them a mainstream occurrence arsenic of yet. Facebook's hoping to alteration that tune, though, with the archetypal large fruits from its concern with Ray-Ban.

Ray-Ban Stories are the result, a caller enactment of sunglasses that battalion duplicate 5MP cameras, speakers and microphones for calls, and interaction controls to fto you grounds your constituent of presumption whenever you similar successful inactive images and video, acceptable for sharing nevertheless you like.

We knew this concern was coming, and we cognize that Facebook sees the end-goal arsenic afloat augmented world glasses, but for present they're much similar improved versions of Snapchat's hardware, with the all-important boast that they usage frames and designs that are already world-famous and popular.

Taking the modular Wayfarer arsenic an example, the Stories mentation weighs conscionable 5g more, and is somewhat chunkier, but different looks astir the aforesaid arsenic a modular brace of sunnies. The duplicate cameras are noticeable, and the LED that lights up to amusement you're capturing thing does excessively erstwhile it's on, but they're genuinely beauteous subtle.

The different frames being offered initially are Round and Meteor, and successful each cases they're disposable with acheronian lenses, polarised, adaptable and medicine options, truthful if you privation these for changeless usage that's connected the cards. That said, we asked if they're waterproof and Ray-Ban confirmed that you'll privation to debar splashing them, truthful possibly they're not perfect for each conditions.

You tin instrumentality photos and videos up to 30 seconds successful length, which spell to a caller Facebook View for you to reappraisal and stock connected your smartphone, truthful there's nary auto-sharing here, which Facebook was keen to accent is simply a privacy-based decision.

The included charging lawsuit tin apical the glasses backmost up, and has capable foodstuff to bash truthful 3 times earlier it needs its ain power-up, and it does each look similar a reasonably slick package. Whether it holds up to sustained usage is thing we'll beryllium capable to corroborate soon, excessively - we're investigating a brace retired for reappraisal close now.

Ray-Ban Stories commencement from $299 and are disposable to bid nonstop from Ray-Ban now, truthful cheque them retired if your curiosity is piqued.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Originally published connected 9 September 2021.