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When you think of smart glasses, the first thing you think of is probably not Amazon’s new Echo Frames. If you were aware they even existed at all. You might think of Google Glass. The infamous smart eyewear that was both praised by businesses and lambasted by almost everyone else. But if you’re wrapped up in the Alexa ecosystem, the Echo Frames might actually be a good fit. Not only for your face but also for your Alexa-powered lifestyle.
Today Amazon announced its next generation of the Echo Frames. The company says it took its first pair and listened to users about everything they loved about them. It then “worked backwards from what customers wanted—putting an emphasis on aesthetics and making the technical improvements they requested.” Amazon believes it achieved its goal of more aesthetically pleasing smart glasses that also provide even more functionality than before. And we’d be inclined to agree.
Amazon’s new Echo Frames feature seven stylish designs and multiple lens options
Smart glasses aren’t completely new and yet, they’re not mainstream either. And a big reason for that is because many of them just don’t look good sitting on your face. Amazon is trying to change that with the Echo Frames. Which come in seven different frame styles and offer multiple types of lenses to cater to a wide range of tastes.
The new styles include Modern Rectangle, Rectangle, Round, Square, Cat Eye, and two options from Carrera Eyewear—the Carrera Cruiser and the Carrera Sprinter. As for lens options, you can choose between a few different types. This includes sunglass lenses with UV400 protection, prescription ready, or blue light lenses.
The lenses are also IPX4 water resistant. In terms of battery life, you can expect to get around 6 hours or so on a single charge. Amazon says this is about 40% more time to listen to continuous media playback and about 80% more continuous talk time.
Connect simultaneously to multiple devices
Any Bluetooth product is made instantly better by having the capability to connect to multiple devices at once. And the new Echo Frames will do that. You can pair them with up to two devices at the same time, and then switch between the two audio sources at your leisure. There’s also a button for starting playlists and you can filter out notifications so your audio isn’t interrupted. And if these get lost, no problem. Amazon integrated a way to find them by asking Alexa where they are. Alexa will then tell you their last known location.
The new Echo Frames will retail for a starting price of $269.99 and you can sign up to be notified when pre-orders go live.