RAY-BAN TEAMS UP WITH FACEBOOK ON SMART GLASSES
Ray-Ban has teamed up with Facebook to release the next generation of smart glasses. Called “Ray-Ban Stories,” the highly anticipated collaboration brings forward a new way to seamlessly capture, share, and listen through your most authentic moments. The announcement was made on Thursday by Mark Zuckerberg and Rocco Basilico in a virtual presentation detailing the partnership and the exciting capabilities.
Leading Ray-Ban Stories’ product lineup with the most recognizable style, an icon since the 1950s, is the Wayfarer and Wayfarer Large. Facebook and EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban’s parent company, were able to engineer smart technology to support all-day wear, including an optimized Snapdragon processor, without compromising style, comfort, and aesthetic, but most of all the weight, with just 5 grams more than a standard pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. Ray-Ban Stories include a dual integrated 5MP camera to capture photo and video; discreet open-ear speakers to listen, and a three-microphone audio array to deliver rich voice and sound transmission for calls and videos. You can also find Ray-Ban Stories in a variety of other iconic styles such as the legendary, retro Round, and the super iconic Meteor. Starting at $299 you can add flare to your style by choosing various lenses: sun, prescription, polarized, gradient, Transitions, and clear.
Ray-Ban Stories launches in conjunction with a companion app, Facebook View (available on iOS and Android), creating an easy way to import, edit, and share content captured on the smart glasses with the ability to upload on any social app stored on your phone: Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and more.
“We are incredibly proud to bring Ray-Ban Stories to life with our partners at Facebook,” said Rocco Basilico, chief wearables officer at EssilorLuxottica. “This is a milestone product that proves consumers don’t have to choose between technology and fashion – they can live in the moment and stay connected while wearing their favorite style of Ray-Ban’s. Our unique approach, combining decades of superior craftsmanship, a dedicated spirit of innovation and a commitment to delivering only cutting edge technology has resulted in a wearable that people will truly love wearing.”
“Ray-Ban Stories is designed to help people live in the moment and stay connected to the people they are with and the people they wish they were with,” added Andrew Bosworth, vice president of Facebook Reality Labs. “EssilorLuxottica has been nothing short of stellar in this partnership and through their commitment to excellence we were able to deliver on both style and substance in a way that will redefine the expectations of smart glasses. We’re introducing an entirely new way for people to stay connected to the world around them and truly be present in life’s most important moments, and to look good while doing it.”
Ray-Ban Stories is now available at Ray-Ban stores and ray-ban.com in the U.S., UK, Italy, Australia, Ireland, and Canada. On Monday, September 13th it will be available at select Luxottica retail banners including SunglassHut, LensCrafters, OPSM, David Clulow, and Salmoiraghi & Viganò and soon after available also at selected wholesale clients.