Technology 3 min read

Bose AR Sunglasses may Succeed Where Google Failed

The new Bose AR sunglasses functionality may bring a fresh take to the AR glasses market. | Image via bose.com

The new Bose AR sunglasses functionality may bring a fresh take to the AR glasses market. | Image via bose.com

The newly released Bose AR sunglasses, called Frames, could be the redesign smart glasses have been waiting for.

In January 2015, Google had to shelve its ambitions to launch and dominate the market of connected glasses.

By halting the production and sale of Google Glass, the internet giant signed one of its biggest historical tech flops.

However, Google doesn’t want to give up completely on its AR glasses.

Microsoft also followed suit and buried its Vaunt smart glasses, a project that looked very promising.

If Google and Microsofts’ experiences have revealed something, it’s that smart glasses may not yet be ready for the wider market.

However, other manufacturers still believe in the concept, and the newly released Bose AR sunglasses may succeed where others failed.

Read More: New Smart Glasses Design Could Bring the Tech Into the Mainstream

$199 Bose AR Sunglasses is Music to our Ears

Bose is known for its speakers and other audio systems. But now, the company is seeking to dive into the AR glass market.

The latest product from Bose labs is neither a headset or speaker, but sunglasses “with a soundtrack”.

Bose recently announced the launch of Frames, a “breakthrough product combining the protection and style of premium sunglasses, the functionality, and performance of wireless headphones, and the world’s first audio augmented reality platform.”

According to the press release, the new audio sunglasses function just like discreet wireless headphones

If you don’t mind the thick design, Frames look like a normal pair of sunglasses. But with the embedded speakers and a microphone instead of earbuds, they direct sound to the ear to allow the wearer to take calls or stream music.

Virtual assistants, like Siri or Google Assistant, can also connect to the smartphone GPS and give you directions or information without changing what you see.

Bose’s AR solution “knows where you are and what you’re facing using a 9-axis head motion sensor and the GPS from your iOS or Android device — and automatically adds a layer of audio, connecting that place and time to endless possibilities for travel, learning, entertainment, gaming, and more.”

If the first copies of Google Glass, the “Explorer Edition”, sold for $1,500, Bose Frames, with two different styles, come at a fraction of the price.

Both frame versions, the square Alto and the rounded Rondo, will be available at only $199.

As AR glasses go, Bose’s spin could be the one that the public won’t hate. It could also decrease the anti-smart glass feeling the defunct Google Glass created.

One thing that could affect the Frames’ marketability is the lack of compatible “audio AR” apps, which Bose said would be coming next year.

Do you think Bose AR sunglasses are the limit of smart glasses technology, or should companies go further?

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Zayan Guedim

Trilingual poet, investigative journalist, and novelist. Zed loves tackling the big existential questions and all-things quantum.

Comments (2)
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    Alexander De Ridder January 01 at 2:05 pm GMT

    Love the article! That’s an awesome product I’m sure that people will be very curious and if it works well it will be a hit!

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    Michael Umansky January 02 at 4:48 pm GMT

    The $199 price point makes it a much more attainable product. How does this product compare to the Snap glasses – https://edgy.app/snapchat-gamifies-itself-with-snappables-ar-lenses-release?pfrom=home ?

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