We have been hearing about Google Glass for years, swimming among the rumors of Apple glasses and with firm proposals such as OPPO Air Glass. Facebook does not want to be left out, but it has brought to the market a concept far removed from augmented reality and that futuristic halo. The Ray-Ban Stories are simply a pair of glasses with camera, microphone and speakerssomething similar to the second generation Snapchat Spectacles, although much more discreet.
We have tested these glasses thoroughly for a few weeks, and we are clear about the uses that can be given to them, the possibilities offered by this type of device and the answer to whether or not these smart glasses are worth buying.
Ray-Ban Stories data sheet
ray ban stories | |
|---|---|
dimensions and weight | Wayfarer: 41 x 50 x 150mm Round: 45 x 48 x 150mm meteor: 45 x 51 x 155mm |
image capture | 2,592 x 1,994 pixels |
video capture | 1,184 x 1,184 pixels 30fps |
Audio system | 2x speakers 3x microphones |
voice assistant | |
controls | touch For you |
memory | 500 photos 30 clips of 30 seconds |
battery | Up to three days on a charge |
connectivity | wifi-ac Bluetooth 5.0 |
compatibility | iOS 13 onwards Android 8.1 onwards |
price | From 329 euros |
A discreet and classic Ray-Ban
There are three Ray-Ban Stories models. The Round (rounded finish), Wayfarer (the classic ones we’ve tried) and the Meteor (classic cut without tinted lenses). They are sunglasses that can be graduated, designed for regular use. The crystals are polarized and we can choose the type of finish for them.
But what is most striking about the design is that, if we don’t look closely, They are completely normal glasses. During these weeks of use, no one has realized that we had smart glasses, until we have shown the main points that give them away.
The side arms are thicker than normal, and the right side reveals a small shutter button.
The first is the side pins, somewhat thicker than usual. However, this might seem like a design decision in a pair of glasses, rather than a necessary evil to include hardware inside sunglasses. The second point to detect that they are ‘smart’ glasses is the fire button, located at the top of the right temple.
The recording LED is very discreet.
So much so that, as we are minimally away from someone, it will be impossible for them to know that we are recording. (LED on).
it is very discreet, thin and not appreciated in medium distances. The same thing happens with the last differential element at the design level: the recording indicator LED. When we are taking photos or video, turns on white.
It is something that we will appreciate only if we are close to the person who has the glasses, but as soon as the person moves away, it will be impossible to see an LEDwith a size of just 1mm, in the distance.
It is also particularly striking that the two cameras on the front are very discreet. If we get close enough we will notice that there is “something strange” (you have to be a little nerd to think that these glasses have two cameras), but at medium distances they simply look like two ends of the glasses.
Inside, on their left sideburn, they have a small switch to turn the device on and off, on the opposite side we have another LED that indicates battery and connection status and, at the bottom, two small speakers.
Ray-Ban Stories box. A little bigger than usual.
In summary, They are glasses that go unnoticed and that, unless someone looks carefully, it is difficult for him to detect the purpose of them.
The process of pairing them
To pair these glasses with our phone (it must have iOS 13 or Android 8.1, at least) we have to download the Facebook View app. It is also mandatory to have a Facebook accountsomething especially annoying, although logical being the company’s glasses.
After logging in, we will have to turn on the glasses, pair them via Bluetooth to the phone and configure the voice of the Facebook Assistant, which we will talk about later. At this time we will also choose whether to allow Facebook to store our voice interactions to “help better understand and respond to requests.” We answered no.
We can also link Messenger (as long as we have the app installed) to send messages or call our contacts through the Facebook Assistant. Once everything is configured, a short tutorial will teach us how to use them. There are several translation errors in the iOS app (we have not found this problem in the Android app), but it is easy to understand how it works.
At the end of the tutorial, Facebook tells us that they only collect “the necessary data to make the glasses and the app work correctly”, they ensure that they do not use the content of the photos or videos to show personalized ads and that our privacy is safe . Or so they say.
The Facebook View app
The Facebook View app is pretty simple. Its main interface is a photo and video gallery, with a second favorites tab. When we click on a photo, we have several settings:
- Erase
- Basic editing (brightness, sharpness, saturation, warmth, crop)
- Create a video montage from photos
- Give an animation effect to the photo (three effects available)
- Download
- Share
In the case of videos we have the same editing options, being able to also create montages by joining several videos. If we go to the configuration sections, we are still facing a light app with few options.
There are multiple settings related to privacy. we can access to the recording of voice recordings, choose whether or not we want the data from the glasses to be stored, access the Facebook View data policy, etc. At the level of customization we can do little, beyond regulating the sound of the system and the brightness of the interior LED.
Regarding the “voice assistant” options, they are very poor. We can only invoke it for extremely simple functions, such as taking photos or videos. An integration with Google Lens or Siri would have been wonderfulenhancing the hands-free capabilities of this device.
Video and photo recording
The quality of the photos is quite fair.
To record videos and take photos with these glasses we have two ways. The first is to do it using the side button. A long press will take a photo, and a short press will start a video. We can also invoke the Assistant with a “Hey Facebook” (the app is not yet in Spanish), and ask him in English to take a video or a photo. The cameras are five megapixels and are capable of recording video in 1184 x 1184 resolution up to 30 FPS.
The recording experience is curious, since we are not used to literally recording what our eyes would see. The plans and photographs are somewhat chaotic, since it is not easy to frame exactly with the glasses.
The quality of the photos is sufficient for the type of device we are talking about, although it is fair enough if we compare it with any mid-range smartphone. Has quite a few issues with highlights, and it is not easy to make glasses process HDR. However, despite the low resolution, the photographs are quite close to what we see in especially cheap mobiles.
What is surprising is video recording quality. The stabilization work is very good. I have recorded videos driving (which we cannot show due to the number of license plates and people that appear), with a lot of vibration, and the stabilization is better than what I have seen in some high-end mobiles. The dynamic range in video is also good, better than that of photos and, in general, we get shots of quite good quality.
The main problem is that the videos are recorded in a completely square aspect ratio (a terrible thing to upload to social networks) and that their duration is only 30 seconds. They are designed to record short content for social networks and not fill the 4 GB of memory they have quickly, ** we miss being able to record for a few minutes **.
The Ray-Ban View as hands-free and headphones
Small speakers from the glasses.
At the sound level, the behavior is excellent with calls. We can use them as hands-free, with a fairly high volume and listening to our interlocutor relatively well. They don’t do bad either in podcast playback, but if we want to listen to music, the tiny speakers show their clear limitations. The volume is more than enough, but the quality is minimal.
They are not a replacement for headphones, but they are a great handsfree. Going with your glasses on, receiving a call and being able to answer it without the need for a mobile phone or headphones is a very favorable point.
battery and charging
Small charging pin.
indicate that we will be very limited in taking photos and videos because of the battery. Facebook promises 3 hours of duration, but in our case we have been unable to exceed an hour and a half. The battery flies, and if we use the video recording a lot, we can only enjoy them for a while. Drinking at rest is also excessive.
To charge them, we have to put them in their box, which takes about an hour and a half to fully charge them. This case works very similar to a TWS earphone, and has a USB-C port to power it.
Ray-Ban Stories, Xataka’s opinion
The Ray-Ban Stories fulfill two clear purposes: to have a hands-free device when we do not want to wear connected headphones and, the most obvious, record discreetly when we do not want to take out the mobile. As much emphasis as Facebook places on both user privacy and the privacy of the people we record, Ray-Ban Stories are the perfect device to record without consent, and the small front LED is not a powerful enough tool to avoid it.
As a content creation tool, they do not finish fulfilling their function. The final quality is good, but the recording format is not good for social networks (funny that they’re called ‘Stories’ and record in a completely opposite format to the ‘Storie’ format), and the limitations on recording time and battery are important handicaps.
