Facebook and Ray-Ban believe they can make smart glasses cool with their new product, Ray-Ban Stories.
The recently leaked line of smart glasses isn’t overly ambitious and packed with all sorts of innovative AR technology. The people behind it understand that glasses will always be a fashion accessory—even when they have a small computer inside.
Indeed, all 20 variations of Ray-Ban Stories, including some of the most iconic Ray-Ban styles, such as Wayfarer/Wayfarer Large, Round, and Meteor, look just like their dumb counterparts, and they also weigh almost the same.
The biggest indicators of the glasses’ smart nature are the two front-facing 5 MP cameras, which automatically activate hard-wired capture LED lights whenever active to let people nearby know they’re being recorded or photographed.
Besides taking photos and up to 30-second videos using the capture button or Facebook Assistant voice commands, Ray-Ban Stories can also record capture audio using three microphones and play it back through built-in open-ear speakers. All these capabilities are made possible thanks to an optimized Snapdragon processor.
The smart glasses should last an entire day on a single charge, and they come with a specially designed charging case that can give you three extra days of use.
To control the glasses and make it possible for their users to seamlessly share photos and videos on social media, Facebook created a dedicated iOS and Android app, called Facebook View. The app is compatible with all major social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and others.
Ray-Ban Stories are already available for purchase online, and you can also get them in certain retail stores in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, and the UK. The glasses start at $299, and there are quite a few lenses to choose from: sun, prescription, polarized, gradient, Transitions®, and clear.
