Facebook launches Ray-Ban smart glasses for $299, bring cameras, speakers; but no AR

By Team NewsableFirst Published Sep 10, 2021, 11:24 AM IST
Highlights

The smart glasses, which cost $299, are now available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ireland, and Australia (roughly Rs 21,975). The smart glasses have been released to demonstrate Facebook's bet on Augmented Reality.

In collaboration with the eyewear manufacturer Ray-Ban, Facebook has released its first set of smart glasses. The Facebook and Ray-Ban smart glasses are called Ray-Ban Stories, and there is no augmented reality. Smart glasses can only snap photographs and record movies for 30 seconds. They also listen to music, listen to podcasts, and make phone calls. The smart glasses, which cost $299, are now available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Ireland, and Australia (roughly Rs 21,975). The smart glasses have been released to demonstrate Facebook's bet on Augmented Reality.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, has gotten people enthusiastic about a future in which augmented reality glasses would allow people to play games on their sofa or publish something on social media without using their cell phones. In a video posted on Thursday, Zuckerberg stated that Ray-Ban stories (smart glasses) are a crucial step toward a future in which phones are no longer fundamental to our lives. Users will not have to choose between communicating with a gadget and interacting with their surroundings.

 

While the Facebook smart glasses do not feature any AR applications, they do get the corporation one step closer to its objective. Many fans were disappointed to learn that the Facebook smart glasses do not allow users to surf Facebook, buy, or play games. The smart glasses also have a virtual assistant, allowing users to take photographs and videos hands-free, simply saying, "Hey Facebook."

Also Read | Facebook to launch smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban on September 9; Details inside

Ray-Ban Stories users will also require a separate Facebook View app to share images and videos recorded on the gadget to other platforms. Facebook is hardly the first firm to publicise a pair of smart glasses.

 

Mark Zuckerberg and Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer at EssilorLuxottica introduce - the new way to capture, share and listen.

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— Facebook (@Facebook)

The ordinary consumer, on the other hand, has ignored all of them. While smart glasses have yet to gain traction in the business arena, researchers believe they are a component of a growing market. According to research by ImmersivEdge Advisors, yearly sales of smart glasses would exceed 22 million units by 2030, according to a Cnet storey. Smart glasses raise privacy issues, and Facebook does not have the finest track record for data protection. Privacy activists have also claimed that such gadgets might be used to spy on people.

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