Facebook And EssilorLuxottica Launch Ray-Ban Stories Smart Glasses

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Ray-Ban Stories is geared toward the Spectacles market of social media users and media consumers

Quick read

➨ Ray-Ban Stories is launching in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and the UK. Twenty style combinations are available today, from US$299

➨ They feature dual integrated 5MP cameras for capturing photos and video, LED lights that warn passersby of imminent recording, speakers and a three-microphone audio array

➨ Photos and up to 30 seconds of video, captured using a dedicated button or handsfree with voice commands, can be shared via a new app, called View

The story

Facebook and EssilorLuxottica have unveiled their Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses.

Ray-Ban Stories, with technology from Facebook’s Reality Labs and frames and branding by EssilorLuxottica, is launching in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and the UK. Twenty style combinations are available today, from US$299.

As Facebook promised when it struck its partnership with EssilorLuxottica last year, the smart glasses boast no augmented reality (AR)-capable displays.

Instead, they feature dual integrated 5MP cameras for capturing photos and video, LED lights that warn passersby of imminent recording, speakers and a three-microphone audio array.

Spectacles market of social media users and media consumers, and the software backs this up.

Photos and up to 30 seconds of video, captured using a dedicated button or handsfree with voice commands, can be shared via a new app, called View.

The iOS and Android app enables Ray-Ban Stories wearers to import, edit and share content captured on the smart glasses to their favourite social media platforms present on their smartphones, including Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and, of course, Facebook.

For video and call quality, Ray-Ban Stories uses beamforming technology and a background noise suppression algorithm that Facebook says provide enhanced calling experience similar to dedicated headphones.

Housing all of this technology, including a Snapdragon processor, is a product lineup of frames styled on Wayfarer glasses.

According to EssilorLuxottica, the new smart glasses weigh just 5g more than a standard pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer glasses.

Commenting on the launch of the new smart glasses, Andrew Bosworth, vice president and head of Facebook Reality Labs, says: “Ray-Ban Stories is designed to help people live in the moment and stay connected to the people they are with and the people they wish they were with.”

“EssilorLuxottica has been nothing short of stellar in this partnership and through their commitment to excellence we were able to deliver on both style and substance in a way that will redefine the expectations of smart glasses.”

“We’re introducing an entirely new way for people to stay connected to the world around them and truly be present in life’s most important moments, and to look good while doing it.”

Rocco Basilico, chief wearables officer at EssilorLuxottica, adds: “We are incredibly proud to bring Ray-Ban Stories to life with our partners at Facebook.”

“This is a milestone product that proves consumers don’t have to choose between technology and fashion—they can live in the moment and stay connected while wearing their favorite style of Ray-Ban’s.”

“Our unique approach, combining decades of superior craftsmanship, a dedicated spirit of innovation and a commitment to delivering only cutting edge technology has resulted in a wearable that people will truly love wearing.”

VRWorldTech will unpick what this announcement means for Facebook and the future of AR-capable smart glasses next week.

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Images: Facebook