Amazon has introduced an updated iteration of its smart eyewear, aptly named Amazon Echo Frames. While this product has been in existence since 2020, Amazon has recently bestowed it with a series of enhancements, spanning improved battery longevity, enhanced audio quality, and a more diverse range of frame designs.
Smart glasses may not have yet found a place as an everyday staple in our lives, seemingly occupying a niche within the tech landscape. However, notable tech giants, including Meta with its Ray-Ban Stories, continue to invest in this evolving sector, and Amazon follows suit with its Echo Frames.
In essence, smart glasses represent eyewear equipped with a voice-activated assistant. They can undertake a multitude of functions akin to what conventional voice assistants offer, all while maintaining a symbiotic connection with a smartphone as their hub.
Amazon’s Echo Frames have now evolved into their third generation. Among the notable improvements is an extended battery life, affording users up to six hours of continuous media playback on a single charge. Amazon also asserts that these smart glasses deliver a more harmonious, crystal-clear audio experience with minimal distortion, thanks to the integration of novel speaker drivers and an open-ear audio architecture.
Further elevating their capabilities, Amazon has embedded on-board speech processing, rendering these smart glasses adept at discerning words across various environmental conditions. Whether it’s a blustery outdoor setting or a bustling indoor milieu, the glasses can adeptly capture user commands and spoken words.
On the software front, significant enhancements have been introduced, allowing these glasses to simultaneously connect to two separate devices. This facilitates seamless transitions between different audio sources, including smartphones and laptops. Additionally, a new notification filtering feature, known as the VIP Filter, selectively prioritizes crucial notifications.
Taking innovation a step further, owners of Echo Frames can now effortlessly trace the whereabouts of their misplaced eyewear. This novel feature leverages the integration of Alexa, enabling users to instruct the voice assistant to pinpoint the location of their lost smart glasses.
In terms of design, Amazon has debuted seven fresh styles in 2023, with two of them being the result of a collaboration with Carera Eyewear. These styles encompass Modern Rectangle, Rectangle, Round, Square, Cat Eye, Carrera Cruiser, and Carrera Sprinter. Notably, these frames are touted to be 15% slimmer compared to their predecessors.
The burning question remains: What’s the price tag on Amazon Echo Frames? These intelligent eyeglasses are available starting at $270 USD, while Carrera Smart Glasses are priced starting at $390 USD. The allure of owning a pair may just beckon.
