Facebook and Ray-Ban team up for a remake of Snapchat glasses (that nobody bought)
Eva Deschamps / September 10, 2021
Facebook has partnered with the famous eyewear manufacturer Ray-Ban to offer smart glasses capable of taking photos and videos. The 'Ray-Ban Stories can also be used to take phone calls on the smartphone, or listen to music or podcasts.
The smart glasses' frames contain two 5-megapixel front-facing cameras. The photos or videos, which can last up to 30 seconds, can be saved on the smartphone via the Facebook View app and then shared on social networks
Two speakers are integrated in the temples.
Unlike the Google glasses (Google Glass, abandoned project), the Ray-Ban Stories do not have a screen.
Recordings can be started by pressing a physical button on the glasses or via voice command. When the glasses take pictures, a small white LED light in the frame turns on.
The Ray-Ban Stories available in 20 different style variants and five colors will be sold primarily only in Australia, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom. Prices start at $299.
The features of the new smart glasses are similar to the glasses that Snapchat launched in 2016. They were never a commercial success. I don't think this concept will ever take off. It's the kind of tool that, on paper, sounds interesting. But not in practice.