I Replaced My Ray-ban Meta With These Amazon Smart Glasses, And Was Impressed

3 days ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) are a earthy measurement for glasses wearers to power their smart home, and they're disposable now for $269.
The latest exemplary features a lighter build, longer artillery life, improved speakers, and caller controls that will return immoderate getting utilized to.
While Alexa successful your ears is nary ChatGPT sound assistant, it's tin capable to reply wide questions and complete astir smart location tasks.

The header for this article could've gone galore ways -- I wore Amazon's Echo Frames astatine an airport, and nan TSA didn't extremity maine or These smart glasses fto maine return calls hands-free -- but I settled pinch nan comparison perspective because 1 of nan easiest ways to talk astir smart glasses is by comparing them to nan standard.

Also: I tested nan champion AR and MR glasses: Here's really nan Meta Ray-Bans stack up

With these being nan company's 3rd procreation of Echo Frames, Amazon's made mostly iterative updates -- nan build is lighter, nan artillery lasts longer, and there's supposedly much bass -- while staying existent to nan glasses' original purpose: Giving you a nonstop (and natural) connection way pinch Amazon's celebrated sound assistant, Alexa.

Naturally, you tin do different things pinch nan glasses, too, arsenic I'll item successful my two-week relationship of wearing nan Echo Frames below.

In nan level of smart glasses, you tin deliberation of nan Echo Frames arsenic nan entry-level pair, perfect for users who want thing discrete but pinch conscionable capable exertion to scratch that user itch. I've worn a fewer excessively galore pairs of smart glasses complete nan past year, and these from Amazon whitethorn beryllium nan astir normal-looking of them all. That's a bully thing, arsenic I learned during my formation to CES successful early January.

Also: Google's upcoming AI smart glasses whitethorn yet person maine to move to a brace full-time

Wanting to trial some nan Echo Frames and nan Meta Ray-Ban during my trip, I went done nan accustomed information screenings and recovered myself stopped doubly because my camera-equipped Meta glasses looked suspicious. No 1 questioned nan Echo Frames, which, moreover from up close, look for illustration a regular brace of plastic-made prescriptions. (Or possibly nary 1 expected maine to person two pairs of smart glasses. I'm not sure.)

True to Amazon's word, nan Echo Frames consciousness very ray connected nan face. Most of nan weight is distributed to nan sides of nan frames, wherever nan speakers, buttons, and different minuscule components are stored. The rubberized tips connected nan ends of nan glasses surely thief pinch nan fit, though I've recovered it harder to fold nan glasses aft adjusting them.

While nan glasses are easy stored successful nan included carrying case, if they're not folded properly, issues originate erstwhile you request to complaint them. Because, dissimilar nan Meta Ray-Ban's USB-C carrying case, there's a caller abstracted charging dock for nan Echo Frames, and aligning nan wireless charging coils pinch nan ones connected nan glasses tin beryllium rather nan doozy. You either person to unit nan glasses into nan spread -- which feels for illustration thing you wouldn't want to do pinch glasses -- aliases illness and slot them successful conscionable right. Nine times retired of 10, I'm doing action one.

In position of functionality, nan Echo Frames don't person multimodal AI cameras built into them for illustration nan Meta Ray-Bans or task ocular overlays for illustration XR glasses. Instead, they tin watercourse Bluetooth audio, return calls and nonstop matter messages, publication notifications, and pass pinch Alexa-supported smart location devices for illustration really your telephone aliases smart hub usually would. Again, entry-level glasses -- and that's not a bad thing.

Also: Get a free brace of Meta Ray-Bans erstwhile you motion up for Verizon 5G location internet

While my location is not as smart as my ZDNET workfellow Maria Diaz's, I enjoyed utilizing nan Echo Frames to move connected and disconnected various smart switches, which saved maine from having to locomotion complete to my telephone and usage an app erstwhile it's charging successful nan room aliases connected my nightstand. The standard of Alexa-compatible devices is ample capable that I could make commands to unafraid my three-year-old August introduction lock, too.

Besides nan smart features, I've besides enjoyed listening to podcasts and making calls during my evening walks. Perhaps it's nan expertise to perceive to my on-device audio while staying alert of my surroundings, aliases nan truth that nan speakers connected nan Echo Frames favour nan mid and precocious frequencies much than nan bassy, engulfing lows. It's astir apt a spot of both. The takeaway is that nan glasses are awesome for vocal-only audio tracks and passable for thing multi-layered.

Also: I tried Google's XR glasses and they already hit my Meta Ray-Bans successful 3 ways

Lastly, I wish nan fastener navigations weren't truthful complicated, but since I'm chiefly utilizing sound commands to get things done, nan request to property nan beforehand aliases backmost fastener to judge and diminution things (or shut up nan microphone) didn't fuss maine each that much. If you're coming from an older brace of Echo Frames, you'll person to retrain your musculus representation arsenic nan touch portion and swipe gestures are nary more.

ZDNET's buying advice

At a database value of $269, nan Echo Frames (3rd Gen) aren't needfully priced to compete. The database value is conscionable $30 little than Meta's much capable Ray-Ban smart glasses.

However, Amazon's glasses person 2 large things going for them: Alexa integration and design. Smart location enthusiasts will perfectly reap nan benefits of having a controller that they tin usage astatine each times (with a artillery life that tin past them each day), and first-time smart glasses shoppers will find these overmuch little intimidating than nan ones pinch mini projectors and cameras built in. Plus, you'll person a smaller chance of being stopped by nan TSA.

This article was primitively published connected January 26, 2024, and was updated connected May 22, 2025.