Ray-Ban Stories
Ray-Ban Stories is a product created in association with the Facebook Reality Labs. The product includes 5MP cameras so that you can capture up to 30 seconds of video using one of two methods. Firstly, the basic capture button located on the side of the device. The second way is by using the Facebook assistant voice command. It is not totally in secret because a LED lights up when in use, just like the Snapchat Spectacles. The device also has speakers and microphones for use in calls.
Ray-Ban Stories can be charged while on the go via a portable case.
Interesting to note that the content saved on the Ray-Ban Stories is encrypted. Plus, they can only be paired with one account. Thus, the content is deleted if you lose them, and an attempt is made to pair them with a new account and phone.
Facebook Reality Labs
Facebook have also featured the Ray-Ban Stories smart wearable on their Tech@FACEBOOK site. The featured article describes it as the new way to capture, share and listen. Facebook states that the Ray-Ban Stories range are “Smart glasses that give you an authentic way to capture photos and video, share your adventures, and listen to music or take phone calls — so you can stay present with friends, family, and the world around you”. On the site you can see example photo and video captures to give you some good examples of the output.
The companion app – Facebook View
Ray-Ban Stories smart wearable pairs with the new Facebook View app (IOS and Android). This app is not available in countries where the product has not been launched. The app enables sharing to friends and social media channels as well as saving to the camera roll of your phone. It is very similar to the functionality offered by Snapchat for their smart spectacles. However Snapchat included the functionality for their smart spectacles within the settings section of the normal app.
Snapchat have been busy too; introducing Snapchat trends.
Ray-Ban Stories Availability
The Ray-Ban Stories smart wearable was first launched in a selected set of countries. Naturally the USA is one of them, and the product retails for $299 with 20 style combinations which is quite impressive. The other initial countries are Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, and the UK. If you live in a country where they are not available, you can opt to be added to a list to be updated by email about availability in your country.
Will you invest in a pair? I will. I still have my pair of Snapchat spectacles so certainly I want to compare them. The Facebook smart glasses certainly appear to have the design edge on the Snapchat product.
