It has long been known that Facebook's Smart Glasses are in development. But new renderings of Facebook's Smart Glass may change that.
Ahead of the expected reveal later today (September 9), notorious leaker Evan Blass released more than a dozen images of the supposed "Facebook x Ray-Ban" glasses on Twitter. Available in a variety of colors and shapes, the glasses look like regular, stylish Ray-Bans, but they have a small camera embedded in the top corner of the frame next to the hinge and a small button near the right temple.
The frames also look familiar. The failed Snapchat Spectacles introduced the design concept of glasses with a camera built into the forward-facing frame, but took an exaggerated approach. The first generation of camera lenses were large, covered by a yellow outer frame that could be seen from a distance.
In these Facebook smart glasses, however, the lenses are so delicate that they were invisible when I first scrolled through a series of renderings. This is a good thing.
Also, unlike the Spectacles, the camera-equipped Ray-Bans come in a much wider variety of shades and frame shapes. By my count, there are at least four color options and up to three different frame shapes. That means shoppers can choose from at least a dozen different options to suit their style. [Design remains a major obstacle for smart glasses, AR-enabled or not. After all, who wants to go out wearing a chunky, cyborg-like headset? No, I shouldn't say no one. But the average consumer would probably disagree.
If Blass' rendering is accurate, Facebook's smart glasses will allow shoppers to upgrade their ordinary Wayfarer, Round, or Meteor-shaped Ray-Bans to something that can capture the world around them. As far as I can tell, the frames are as slim as the designer, non-smart options I've been wearing for years.
Even better, the smart frame is not littered with Facebook branding. Without the logo on the box, you would have no idea that Facebook is part of the product at all. Additional accessories appear to include a protective case, charging cable, and drawstring bag.
What would Facebook's smart glasses do? While the design certainly looks more attractive, the functionality of Facebook's smart glasses will likely mimic Snapchat's Spectacles, which were dismissed as a novelty item rather than a practical, everyday lens.
Nevertheless, the Facebook platform maintains a strong presence in the photo and memory-taking community. It also continues to promote its smart display Facebook Portal, regularly adding features that users may have found useful while waiting at home.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during Facebook's earnings call in July that the company's smart glasses "will be able to do some pretty neat things," but also confirmed that they will not feature AR.
Earlier this year, Facebook hardware chief Andrew Bosworth also said he did not see AR functionality, but pointed to Bloomberg as an application scenario for Facebook's smart glasses that would allow parents to record moments in their children's lives
"By the time you start up your phone, not only have you probably missed it, but even if you didn't, you're probably watching the actual event through your phone. Bozworth said.
We all need to know the details today. Facebook and Rayban promised that there will be an announcement on September 9. Let's keep it locked to Tom's Guide for the latest on these new smart glasses.
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