Delved into the Ray-Ban smart glasses offered by Meta, priced at a hefty $800, for a peek at the potential user experience.
Meta has unveiled its latest innovation - the new Ray-Ban glasses, a blend of style and technology that promises to revolutionise the way we interact with the world.
These smart glasses are equipped with a host of features, including real-time translations for Spanish, French, and Italian, a pedestrian-only map function, video calling, and real-time subtitles. The right lens houses a small electronic screen where users can view text messages, video calls, or maps while still being able to see the real world.
The glasses also incorporate a neural wristband for controlling images on the screen via a "Minority Report"-like interface. Users can navigate through content by making finger movements in the air and using the wristband to communicate the hand's movements to the glasses.
However, it's important to note that these glasses still require a phone to function. They are not intended to replace the smartphone but rather to complement it, offering a hands-free, heads-up display for essential information.
Meta sees significant potential for this technology in the workplace, particularly for employees who need to access necessary information without looking at their smartphones. The company believes that these glasses could become a daily part of life for many of its employees, although its previous Ray-Bans have not been widely adopted outside of Meta buildings.
The new Ray-Ban glasses from Meta are priced at approximately $800 (€680), making them a significant investment. While some users might find the bulky design unappealing, others might appreciate the technology-focused look. The glasses are heavier than regular glasses, weighing approximately 69 grams, and the batteries last six hours.
Google has announced a similar series of headsets, but a price and release date have yet to be revealed. Competition in the smart glasses market is fierce, with companies like Apple, Samsung, and Snap also developing similar AI-integrated wearable devices.
It's worth noting that users can choose to integrate external content from third-party providers to enhance their user experience. However, this may involve creating and enriching usage profiles, even outside the EEA, and transferring personal data to third countries, including the USA, in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR.
Meta financed the development of the new Ray-Ban smart glasses in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, the company that produces Ray-Ban glasses. Since 2023, other companies such as Amazon have announced similar projects, developing new smart glasses with displays and cameras.
While the new Ray-Ban glasses from Meta represent a step towards achieving hundreds of millions, and eventually billions, of AI glasses, according to Meta's goal, it remains to be seen whether they will succeed in enticing users away from their phones and into the real world.
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