Basilico was leading Luxottica’s own smart glasses efforts at the time and knew the eyewear giant needed to partner with a tech company to build them. I expected the speakers on both sides of the frame to be soft and hollow, but they were surprisingly loud and full. I can see the audio playback over Bluetooth coming in handy for taking phone calls or maybe listening to podcasts, but I’d prefer to use proper headphones for listening to music. The audio doesn’t sound specifically targeted at the wearer’s ears, making it easy to overhear when you’re standing next to someone wearing the glasses.
If the idea of camera sunglasses seems familiar, perhaps that’s because it sounds like Snapchat Spectacles, which launched in 2016. In what I can only imagine is a loving tribute, Facebook has named its camera sunglasses “Stories” after the other signature product that Facebook/Instagram lifted from Snapchat. Ray-Ban created the first pair of aviator sunglasses for military fighter pilots in 1937. They continue to create iconic designs known for top-notch performance today. Except they’re made in partnership with Facebook and have built-in cameras that are hard to spot. Even while pushing a computer that sits on your face and looks quite similar to regular glasses, Facebook and Ray-Ban are emphasizing the importance of making other people aware that you may be recording them .
There’s a quiet “shutter” sound when the person wearing the glasses takes a photo, but it’s hard for others to hear. Even if they do hear it, not knowing what someone intends to do with a recording clubmaster could cause anyone who is privacy-conscious to worry. Now you can leverage the strength of the iconic Ray-Ban brand to seamlessly upgrade patients in both single vision and progressive lenses.
Facebook, meanwhile, has been working on these Ray-Bans since at least 2019, and it almost certainly will take a swing at AR glasses in the future. But in terms of both commercial availability and advanced features, the new Facebook Ray-Bans are years behind Snap’s glasses. It’s the ray ban caravan “effortless” part that will raise eyebrows behind the plastic frames. Facebook has made a pair of smart glasses—even if they’re not true AR glasses—that people might actually want to wear. With this product, Facebook is claiming the face as real estate for its own technology.
The arms on the Ray-Ban Stories glasses are slightly wider than a normal pair, but they don’t look geeky. (They also don’t have a waveguide, or a microprojector for display optics, since they’re not powering AR overlays). Packed into the arms are a power button, a capture button, a three-microphone array, two tiny speakers, and a touch panel.
But the voice controls worked just fine during the few occasions when nobody could hear my shame. While I didn’t expect much when it comes to audio playback, the Stories surprised me with sound that was good enough for listening to light tunes or podcasts. I could see them being particularly useful while jogging or biking outdoors, where you want to maintain situational awareness.
The Clubmaster has a browline frame and went on to become the third best selling sunglasses style of the 1980s, behind the Wayfarer and Aviator. That’s because tucked into the stems of the glasses are also discreet speakers, which mean that you can listen to music without anyone even realising. They’ll play music into your ears – but also allow you to take calls, all without ray ban new wayfarer needing to pluck your phone out of your pocket or stop what you’re doing. In many ways, Ray-Ban Stories look just like any other of the brand’s glasses. They have the same classy and timeless design, made with the same kind of attention to detail, and – perhaps most importantly of all for a pair of glasses – shield you from the sun and make sure your vision is crystal clear.
Exclusively available with Ray-Ban Authentic Essilor Special Edition, Eyezen Kids lenses are designed for how children see the world. Ray-Ban® Authentic complete pair delivers elevated sight with Essilor® branded technologies and ultimate style enhancements including the Ray-Ban signature and logo. With Ray-Ban Authentic, members have access to new colors options and materials to help achieve the style and protection they want.