The Ray-Ban Stories finally arrive in France! Intended to capture and share “moments of life”, Meta’s famous connected glasses shine with their ease of use. And could quickly make followers…
Fruit of a partnership between Meta – ex-Facebook – and the world giant of lenses and glasses, the Franco-Italian group EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban Stories land in France in a few weeks, six months after their launch in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Italy, where they have sold some 800,000 copies. What is it about ? “Smart” glasses. Or, more precisely, “connected” glasses. In fact, contrary to what one might imagine – hope? –, the Ray-Ban Stories do not allow you to see in 3D, in virtual reality or in augmented reality. They are, more modestly, glasses with audio, photo and video functions, mainly intended to capture and share “moments of life” on social networks, Facebook and Instagram in mind, of course. Hence their name Stories, which clearly evokes the famous sequences that have flooded the said networks for a few years.
What are the characteristics of Ray-Ban Stories?
At first glance, nothing distinguishes the Ray-Ban Stories from banal glasses – luxury all the same… They are replicas of three iconic Ray-Ban models, the Wayfarers – adopted in particular by Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan and Ray Charles – the Rounds and the Meteors. Timeless references that you can wear without risking looking like a science fiction character, especially since they are unisex. But they differ from conventional glasses by their electronics. Because they carry two cameras, three omnidirectional microphones, two mini speakers, storage memory, a battery and circuits, in particular for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication. In short, the kind of little gadget that Q would have been able to design for James Bond…
Technically, the two mini cameras of the Ray-Ban Stories are modules with a definition of 5 MPx that can take photos of 2592 x 1944 px and videos of 1184 x 1184 px at 30 frames per second. Alas, Meta and EssilorLuxottica remain very discreet about the other technical characteristics, and in particular at the audio level: logically, it is unlikely that the tiny integrated speakers can compete with real headphones in terms of quality… We know just that the internal storage can hold up to 500 photos or 30 30-second videos, the Wi-Fi is type ac, the Bluetooth is 5.0 standard and the glasses weigh only 50g. A real featherweight that allows you to wear them for a long time without discomfort.
As for the battery, it is supposed to be enough to operate for 6 hours in moderate use – that is one hour of audio listening, 30 minutes of telephone conversation, 10 photos and 10 videos according to Meta. To recharge it, the Ray-Ban Stories must be placed in the protective and transport case that accompanies them and which has a larger battery and a US-C plug to connect to a power source. – mains charger, external battery or computer. Charged to 100%, the case allows the glasses to be charged three times, which can recover 50% autonomy in 30 minutes.
What are the functions of Ray-Ban Stories?
What are Ray-Ban Stories for? To take photos, to shoot videos and even to chat on the phone, like with a wireless hands-free kit. Discreetly placed buttons on the temples allow you to launch actions, but you can also trigger them by voice, thanks to the integrated voice assistant, with commands like “Hey Facebook, take a picture” Where “Hey Facebook, take a video”. Be careful, however, because the Ray-Ban Stories are not completely autonomous. To function fully, they must be paired with a smartphone (Android or iOS) on which the Facebook View application is installed, itself associated with a Facebook account. On first use, the app initiates Bluetooth pairing and activation of the glasses, also updating their firmware if necessary. Note also that the Ray-Ban Stories only work with the mobile to which they are associated. To use them on another device, you must deactivate them in the app or reset them completely using the buttons on the arms.
How to use Ray-Ban Stories ?
Using Ray-Ban Stories is simple. To turn them on, you have to slide the slider switch on the inside of the left branch to the right and release it. This switch is also used for Bluetooth pairing with the smartphone. On the right branch, outside, a touch button allows you to pick up by tapping twice. Same maneuver to hang up. And to refuse a call, just hold down your finger for a few seconds. The glasses also allow listening to podcasts or music through any application installed on the phone. The sound level can be adjusted by swiping the touchpad backwards (lower) or forwards (raise). Of course, you can also go forward or backward in the reading or pause. To take a photo with the Ray-Ban Stories, you have to do a long press on the top of the right arm of the frame. To film a video sequence, a short press is enough, an audible signal indicating that the recording is in progress. And to stop, two short presses. We can thus film daily life in sequences of 30 seconds maximum. The images are stabilized automatically, which prevents jumps in the recording when walking or cycling, for example.
To retrieve the recorded images, you must go through the Facebook View application which downloads them to a secure folder on the smartphone via direct Wi-Fi connection. The images are then automatically erased from the internal memory of the glasses. The app then offers several image editing functions, video compilation as well as the creation of three types of animations, Flashbacks, which give effects of depth and movement. Clip templates are installed to be able to create small clips with or without subtitles and music. Once the images and videos have been selected, all you have to do is press a Share button to be offered the possibility of publishing them on Meta’s applications (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp), but also of sending them by email or on other independent social networks like Twitter or TikTok, store them online in a cloud service or even transfer them via Bluetooth to a nearby device.
What protection of privacy with the Ray-Ban Stories?
If for security reasons, the online broadcasting of images cannot be carried out live to avoid any abusive or intrusive use, it is all the same logical to wonder about the respect of private life insofar as the Ray- Ban Stories incorporate miniature cameras. Especially for people who are in the field of vision of the spectacle wearer. Aware of the recent and innumerable criticisms for invasion of privacy that it has had to face, Meta has integrated a small LED that lights up as soon as the cameras are working. But it is too discreet to alert passers-by that they will be filmed or photographed, in direct sunlight and beyond the seven meters provided. It has already been fixed that the light (white) is invisible with beige frames, but the color of the light point with this frame color has been rectified. When buying Ray-Ban Stories, a code of “good conduct” recommends that they should not be used in private spaces, in places of worship, medical offices, or even locker rooms. A specific campaign recalling “good practices” will be launched in April at the same time as the sales. The Facebook View application also reminds.
What is the price of Ray-Ban Stories?
Marketed in Spain, Austria and Belgium since March 17, the Ray-Ban Stories will be available in France from April 14. Reason for this time lag: the time required to adapt and translate into French the instructions for use, the interface and the Facebook voice assistant. Outraged Ray Ban website, they will be sold with their case and accessories at EssilorLuxottica’s French distributors: Sunglass Hut and Wutscher, Miller Optik, Optiek Arnouts, Comptoir d’Optique, Espace Vision Concept, Eye Candy and Zaff Optical. A total of 28 models are offered with five frame colors, in sun base (329 euros) with or without gradient, in clear or corrective lenses (variable prices), polarized (from 359 euros) or Transition lenses (409 euros ). Relatively high prices, but not stratospheric for all that, especially with regard to their audio, photo and video functions.
It remains to be seen whether the first connected glasses will find their audience. The slogan of Meta – “You can see the world around you. Ray-Ban Stories, the new way to record, share and listen” – suggests new uses, especially for fans of social networks. No need to rummage in a pocket or a bag to take out your smartphone when photographing or filming a scene of daily life. A wave of the hand on the branches is enough. And the audio functions are appreciable, for listening to music or answering the phone on the go, without having to wear headphones that risk falling off… Admittedly, for the moment, the Ray-Ban Stories are not yet sophisticated enough to fit into Zuckerberg’s Metaverse. But they are probably the beginnings, before a version with augmented reality.