An all too familiar story?
This Thursday, the first pair of smart glasses made by Facebook is going on sale for just over $400. Partnering with conglomerate eyewear manufacturer Luxottica Group (Ray-Ban), the device has been aptly named Ray-Ban Stories.
“Our mission is to help build tools that will help people feel connected any time, anywhere.”
Rocking the classic Wayfarer design, the glasses feature two-front facing cameras for capturing video and photos. Syncing with a companion camera roll app called Facebook View where clips can be edited and shared to other apps on your phone.
There is also a physical button on the glasses for recording, or you can say “Hey Facebook, take a video” to control them hands-free. Sound familiar?
In 2013, Google also released Google Glass, an optical head-mounted display designed in the shape of a pair of glasses. A revolutionary device that set out to change the way we interact with the world around us by bringing technology to the forefront of our everyday lives.
Although the device generated notable buzz across the world, there were growing safety and security concerns. People were not used to seeing such a device fitted with a camera constantly pointed at them. Bars and restaurants went as far as to ban the use of the product in their establishments. Even between friends, it wasn’t seen as socially acceptable and was even considered ‘creepy’. Google went as far as to flaunt its new device at the New York Fashion show, in a cringey attempt to alleviate the feedback of its ugly look. A problem Ray-Ban won't have.
There were many reasons Google Glass failed, but mostly people were just not ready for such a product. You could look at humans as robotic machines who make decisions based on logic. But in reality, humans can be irrational, emotional beings who are influenced by biases, experiences, and social norms when making decisions.
The product never reached the mass market and in 2015 Google decided to discontinue the product. Google is now reintroducing Google Glass Enterprise, targeted towards enterprise players to be a hands-free device for smarter and faster hands-on work.
Although today the technology has significantly improved in some aspects, Facebook has been able to fit an impressive amount into their frame of just a few millimetres.
“That’s why we baked privacy directly into the product design and functionality of the full experience, from the start.”
We all know Facebook is no stranger to privacy concerns and it seems they are attempting to address them directly. A LED is hardwired to the camera that shines with white light to notify people nearby when you’re taking photos or videos.
Facebook’s hardest sell might not be privacy, but the product itself. Snapchat is now in its third attempt at creating its version of smart glass. With improvements each time, they too failed to catch the desire of the target market. We will see if the world is ready for Facebook.
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