Facebook and Ray-Ban, one of the largest eyewear brands in the world owned by the Italian group Luxottica, have jointly created Ray-Ban Stories, a pair of glasses with two cameras inserted inside the frame to take photographs and record videos. The idea is to use them when you don't have your hands free or you want to seize a moment, without having to use your smartphone. The two companies are confident that they will be successful in a sector that is still in its infancy and where other manufacturers have essentially failed, offering “smart glasses” that have not attracted much interest because they are uncomfortable or impractical to use.
At first glance, the Ray-Ban Stories are not very different from the classic Ray-Ban glasses: they are more or less the same size and weight as the Wayfarers, perhaps the most classic and recognizable model produced by the company.
The two cameras are placed on the two noses, the extreme parts of the front of the glasses that through the hinges are then connected to the temples (or temples). They are not very obvious and can appear as a design element, rather than actual lenses.
The right temple of the glasses has a physical button, which can be pressed to take a photograph or video of up to 30 seconds. Photos and videos are then sent via wireless connection (Bluetooth) to Facebook View, a new application created by Facebook that allows you to make some changes to the images, before sharing them on the social network, on Instagram or saving them in the photo gallery of your smartphone. .
Just above the right lens is a small LED light that turns on every time the cameras are in operation, to make their use evident to those around you. However, according to reviews circulating so far, the light emitted is very weak and therefore it may not always be clear to others that they are being filmed, with the consequent privacy protection problems.
Ray-Ban Stories can also be used to answer phone calls and to listen to music and other content. In fact, microphones and small speakers have been integrated into the rods, in order to use them as earphones and without the need to take the smartphone out of the pocket or bag when receiving a call. A portion of the right temple is touch sensitive and can be used to adjust the volume, stop playback and to send voice commands to the glasses, activating the system by saying the phrase “Hey Facebook”.
As for home voice assistants, Facebook glasses also have a recognition system that is activated with a specific phrase, which is followed by the actual command. For example, the cameras of the glasses can be activated by saying “Hey Facebook, take a picture”, although doing it around other people might sound strange if not embarrassing, as New York Times reporter Mike Isaac said.
The two cameras are 5 megapixel and therefore have a low definition, when compared with those present on smartphones. The idea, however, is to use them more occasionally, for the occasions when you want to fix a moment and then share it, as the name of the product suggests with a clear reference to the Stories of Instagram (and also available on Facebook).
Facebook and Ray-Ban say that with average use, the glasses' battery lasts about six hours, while it takes an hour to fully charge them. They are sold together with a case that also has a battery inside, and which recharges the glasses every time they are placed inside. The case is recharged via a common USB-C cable and can fully charge the glasses three times.
As a concept and functionality, the Ray-Ban Stories are very reminiscent of the Spectacles, the glasses presented by Snapchat five years ago and designed specifically for shooting photos and videos to be shared via the application. Spectacles have evolved somewhat over the years, but despite their marketing efforts, they have never had much of a hold among Snapchat users. Facebook is confident that its glasses will have much more diffusion both for the larger user base and for the presence of a well-known brand in the sector such as Ray-Ban.
The collaboration between the two companies dates back to a couple of years ago, when Luxottica's head of wearable devices, Rocco Basilico, sent an email to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, proposing that he meet to evaluate some collaboration. . The proposal stemmed from the fact that Zuckerberg had long argued that glasses would become central to our digital lives, eliminating some of the inconveniences of smartphones.
In 2019 Zuckerberg met the founder of Luxottica, Leonardo Del Vecchio, in Milan to discuss the characteristics of the new product that they would make together. Facebook would have managed the development of the technological part, while Luxottica would have concentrated on the design and sale of the Ray-Ban Stories. The financial details of the agreement are not known, while according to several observers, Facebook's choice not to have pushed to have its brand directly associated with the new glasses is clear, given the criticism received in recent years for how it manages the privacy of its users. .
The two companies believe that the Ray-Ban Stories are just the beginning of a longer path, which in the coming years will lead to the development of glasses with more advanced features, especially thanks to the work of the more than 10 thousand Facebook technicians and developers who work in the sector of wearable devices, such as glasses, earphones and smartwatches. Future models will, for example, be able to project images on lenses for augmented reality, where virtual objects are superimposed on what is being observed.
The new Ray-Ban Stories are available in the United States and some other countries, including Italy. They can be purchased in Ray Ban stores and on the manufacturer's website, at the starting price of 329 euros.
