Zinger Key Points
- Smart glasses' journey: Google Glass promise to AR's limitations in a decade.
- Meta's Ray-Ban captures video, while Amazon's Echo Frames excel in audio and Alexa features.
- Get Monthly Picks of Market's Fastest Movers
Amazon.Com, Inc AMZN, in April, observed the 10th anniversary of Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL Google's release of the pioneering Glass, which initially held futuristic allure but lacked mass appeal.
The last decade for smart glasses has been a mix of hits and misses, with consensus on form and function still distant, TechCrunch reports.
Google's Glass iterations failed to achieve commercial success.
At the same time, other AR ventures by Magic Leap, Microsoft Corp MSFT, and Meta Platforms Inc META faced limitations and stuck in larger formats.
Meta's recent hardware launch featured the Quest 3 VR headset and Ray-Ban Meta, emphasizing content creation and standard glasses size.
Also Read: Amazon's AWS Unveils Major Expansion in Canada: A Gateway to Unprecedented Growth and Opportunities?
Like Snap Inc SNAP Snapchat Spectacles, the Ray-Ban Meta emphasizes video capture with built-in cameras and speakers for content consumption.
Conversely, Amazon's Echo Frames 3 focuses solely on audio, lacking video capture but offering speakers near the temples for music or podcasts.
The Echo Frames prioritize situational awareness but compromise on immersive sound, suiting casual music listening rather than daily use.
Primarily serving as an Alexa interface, they enable voice commands for various tasks and come in different styles with customizable lens options.
With a 14-hour battery life for moderate usage, the Frames lack the elegant charging solution of the Ray-Ban Meta but compensate with a collapsible and wearable charging case design.
Priced at $270 (often discounted to $200), they present a viable alternative to the Ray-Ban Meta, albeit with some functional trade-offs.
Price Action: AMZN shares traded higher by 0.08% at $153.54 premarket on the last check Tuesday.
Also Read: Google Dumps AR Smart Glass Enterprise Sales, No Reasons Disclosed
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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