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Carrera Smart Glasses drop to a new record-low price, nearly half off
Carrera Smart Glasses drop to a new record-low price, nearly half off

Android Authority

time2 hours ago

  • Business
  • Android Authority

Carrera Smart Glasses drop to a new record-low price, nearly half off

Yesterday, we reported on a fantastic deal for the Amazon Echo Frames, but we know some of you may prefer something more stylish. If you want smart glasses that also look great, the Carrera Smart Glasses with Alexa are also on sale, saving you nearly half of the retail price. Buy the Carrera Smart Glasses with Alexa for $199.99 ($190 off) This offer is available from Amazon, but there is a caveat. This is an Amazon Prime exclusive offer. You can learn more about Amazon Prime plans and pricing here. Keep in mind that new subscribers get a 30-day free trial, so you might be able to access this deal, as well as next week's Prime Day sales, for free! In terms of functionality, the Carrera Smart Glasses are pretty much the same as the Amazon Echo Frames. Of course, the only main difference is that Carrera's models are more stylish and come from a renowned fashion brand. While the Carrera Smart Glasses are more expensive at $199.99, this is a new record-low price for these sunglasses. These may not feature a camera, but they are still pretty functional and capable. They feature bigger temples compared to the non-smart alternatives, but that's because that's where most of the technology lives. These have both speakers and microphones. This means you can listen to your music, make or take calls, and more, all hands-free. Of course, you will also get direct access to Alexa and all its capabilities. You can use the digital assistant to request music, check on the weather, ask for any random information, solve math problems, and even control your smart home devices. We usually showcase the dark sunglasses, but you don't need to use them as a simple comfort accessory for sunny days. It's possible to add prescription glasses. Learn more about prescription replacements here. I've always liked these Carrera designs, so I am seriously tempted by this deal. Are you signing up for this deal? Make sure to act quickly. While this deal will likely stick around until Amazon Prime Day ends, we've seen hot products go out of stock during these discount events. If you have Prime, you might as well lock in the offer now.

Get Smart With This Early Prime Day Bundle Deal on Amazon Echo Frames and Spot Speaker for $130
Get Smart With This Early Prime Day Bundle Deal on Amazon Echo Frames and Spot Speaker for $130

CNET

time6 hours ago

  • Business
  • CNET

Get Smart With This Early Prime Day Bundle Deal on Amazon Echo Frames and Spot Speaker for $130

Adding some smart tech to your home (or your ensemble) can be a great win in today's world, helping you stay connected and get tasks done easier. These devices don't come cheap, but with Amazon Prime Day just a week away -- set to kick off July 8 -- we've spotted some great deals you can cash in on right now, including offers on Amazon's own devices. Right now, you can score both the latest model of Amazon's Echo Frames smart glasses, as well as the newest Echo Spot smart speaker for just $130. That's a whopping 63% discount that saves you $220 off its $350 list price. Both of these handy gadgets have built-in Alexa -- but you have to be a Prime member to score this incredible deal. The 3rd-gen Echo Frames let you listen to music, audiobooks or even take calls wherever you are. You can also use these frames to control compatible devices from afar. Expect up to six hours of playback per charge, though you can get up to 14 hours of battery life with moderate usage. Note, however, that you will need to order prescription lenses for these frames, which are sold separately. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. You'll also get the Echo Spot, which has a clock and displays the weather and song titles right on its screen. This small smart speaker is ideal for a nightstand, shelf or even a corner of your desk. It's not the most powerful speaker out there, but it connects easily to other Echo speakers and is a great addition to your collection. Why this deal matters Smart tech comes at a steep price, but this early Prime Day deal knocks over $200 off this handy bundle that includes both smart glasses and a smart speaker. If you're in the Alexa ecosystem, this offer is an easy sell -- especially if you were already in the market for audio-ready glasses or a speaker for your desk or bedside table. With costs going up due to tariffs, this is likely the best chance you'll have to score this bundle at such a low price anytime soon.

Apple just asked Vision Pro users something it never dared to before
Apple just asked Vision Pro users something it never dared to before

Phone Arena

time2 days ago

  • Phone Arena

Apple just asked Vision Pro users something it never dared to before

Apple appears to be doing more than just listening — it's actively probing the mixed reality landscape. A new user survey sent to Vision Pro owners this week includes a revealing set of questions about competing devices, including Meta's Quest headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses. Apple's latest Vision Pro survey hints at growing interest in the smart glasses market. | Image credit — PhoneArena The bulk of the survey asks Vision Pro users about the usual fare: comfort, display clarity, Guest Mode usefulness, and whether they use accessories like the external battery clip or optional travel case. But buried in the list are questions aimed squarely at Apple's competition — something the company doesn't always acknowledge so asks users whether they own a Meta Quest 3, Quest Pro, PlayStation VR, Valve Index, or other VR headsets — all of which are direct or indirect competitors in the XR (extended reality) space. Probably the more interesting part to take notice of here is that Apple is also asking about smart glasses in its questionnaire, listing Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, Amazon's Echo Frames, and Snapchat Spectacles. Apple doesn't currently offer any smart glasses of its own, but based on this line of questioning — and previous rumors — it seems increasingly clear that it wants to enter that space soon. Apple's first smart glasses are expected in 2027 with audio, cameras, and AI-powered awareness. | Image credit — EverythingApplePro According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's first-generation smart glasses are already deep in development, with a launch currently expected in 2027. The Apple Glasses — as we are currently calling them — will reportedly feature audio playback, integrated cameras, voice and gesture controls, and even some AI-powered environmental awareness. In other words, they'll be positioned to compete with Meta's Ray-Bans (not full-on AR headsets) as Apple builds its wearable ecosystem. Kuo also believes Apple is preparing a separate pair of 'XR Glasses' with a built-in display, scheduled for 2028, and a lightweight Vision Air headset set for 2027. The Vision Air will reportedly weigh 40% less than today's Vision Pro and cost significantly less thanks to iPhone-grade internals and simplified optics. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's roadmap for Apple's XR upcoming devices. | Image credit — Ming-Chi Kuo The fact that Apple is now surveying users about Ray-Ban-style wearables might suggest the company is taking those devices and the market segment they represent very seriously. With Meta gaining traction in the smart glasses space through partnerships with Ray-Ban, and Amazon iterating on its Echo Frames, Apple seems keen to understand user awareness and expectations before entering the race. That's a smart move, especially with Apple's Vision Pro still positioned as a premium niche product. The company likely sees future success in lower-cost, lightweight, AI-enabled wearables — and surveys like this one help shape the roadmap. Funny thing is that Apple is still lagging behind on the AI front, with its "smart" assistant severely outpaced by the competition. That said, the company's continued interest in XR wearables implies that it feels confident in catching up. For now, it's unclear whether Apple is leaning toward a 2026 or 2027 release for its first smart glasses. My guess would be late 2027, as we expect the more advanced AI features and the long-awaited Siri 2.0 in 2026, so I doubt that Apple would be ready with its first pair of XR glasses too. But with internal research, roadmap leaks, and public signals like this survey all pointing in the same direction, Apple's next big wearable push might already be taking shape. We might not have to wait until next year to see new XR hardware from Apple. An updated version of the Vision Pro is reportedly set to launch later this year, likely alongside the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro — which are expected to debut in September. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer

Google, Meta and Snap think this tech is the next big thing
Google, Meta and Snap think this tech is the next big thing

Egypt Independent

time15-06-2025

  • Business
  • Egypt Independent

Google, Meta and Snap think this tech is the next big thing

New York CNN — Silicon Valley thinks it's finally found the next big thing in tech: smart glasses – the same thing Google tried (and failed at) more than a decade ago. But Google Glass may simply have been ahead of its time. Now tech companies believe technology has finally caught up, thanks in part to artificial intelligence—and they're going all-in on truly 'smart' glasses that can see and answer questions about the world around you. The latest example: Snap announced this past week it's building AI-equipped eyewear to be released in 2026. The renewed buzz around smart glasses is likely the combination of two trends: a realization that smartphones are no longer exciting enough to entice users to upgrade often and a desire to capitalize on AI by building new hardware around it. That's why, although smart glasses aren't entirely new, advancements in AI could make them far more useful than the first time around. Emerging AI models can process images, video and speech simultaneously, answer complicated requests and respond conversationally. And that could make smart glasses finally worth wearing. 'AI is making these devices a lot easier to use, and it's also introducing new ways people can use them,' said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager covering wearable devices for market research firm The International Data Corporation. Meet the new class of smart glasses Google, Snap, Meta and Amazon have previously released glasses with cameras, speakers and voice assistants. But the Google Glass of a decade ago never caught on. The screen was tiny, the battery life was short and the 'glasses' themselves were expensive and unfashionable. More modern glasses like Amazon's Echo Frames, Meta's original Ray-Ban Stories and early versions of Snap's Spectacles made it easier to listen to music or take photos hands-free. Yet these still didn't do anything you couldn't already do with a smartphone. This newer crop of smart glasses is far more sophisticated. For example, when I tried prototype glasses based on Google's software last year, I asked Google's Gemini assistant to provide cocktail ideas based on liquor bottles I had been looking at on a shelf. The glasses will also remember what you've seen and answer questions based on that: During its I/O developers conference in May, a Google employee asked Gemini for the name of a coffee shop printed on a cup she has looked at earlier. With the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, users can perform tasks like asking whether a pepper they're looking at in a grocery store is spicy or translate conversations between languages in real time. Two million pairs have been sold since their 2023 debut, Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica said in February. Attendees wear Google Glass while posing for a group photo during the Google I/O developer conference on May 17, 2013 in San Francisco, California.'There's been several years of various failed attempts,' said Andrew Zignani, senior research director of ABI Research's Strategic Technologies team. 'But there's finally now some good concepts of what's working.' And market research indicates the interest will be there this time. The smart glasses market is estimated to grow from 3.3 million units shipped in 2024 to nearly 13 million by 2026, according to ABI Research. The International Data Corporation projects the market for smart glasses like those made by Meta will grow from 8.8 in 2025 to nearly 14 million in 2026. What's coming next Snap didn't reveal many details about its forthcoming 'Specs' glasses but did say they will 'understand the world around you. 'The tiny smartphone limited our imagination,' Snap wrote in a blog post announcing the glasses. 'It forced us to look down at a screen, instead of up at the world.' Apple is also said to be working on smart glasses to be released next year that would compete directly with Meta's, according to Bloomberg. Amazon's head of devices and services Panos Panay also didn't rule out the possibility of camera-equipped Alexa glasses similar to those offered by Meta in a February CNN interview. 'But I think you can imagine, there's going to be a whole slew of AI devices that are coming,' he said in February. Demonstration of prototypes of glasses that can display information in the user's field of vision at the Google I/O developer conference on May 20 in Mountain View, CA. Andrej Sokolow/picture-alliance/dpa/AP AI assistant apps, like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Search and Gemini apps, are already laying the foundation for smart glasses by using your phone's camera to answer questions about your surroundings. OpenAI is putting its tech in everything from a mysterious new gadget co-designed by Apple veteran Jony Ive to future Mattel toys. Google said last month that it would bring more camera use to its search app, a sign that it sees this technology as being key to the way people find information in the future. Apple this past week announced updates to its Visual Intelligence tool that let users ask questions about content on their iPhone's screen, in addition to their surroundings, by using its camera. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently reiterated his belief that smart glasses could become critical to how people use technology during testimony in a federal antitrust case. 'A big bet that we have at the company is that a lot of the way that people interact with content in the future is going to be increasingly through different AI mediums, and eventually through smart glasses and holograms,' he said in April. Do people actually want smart glasses? Still, tech giants need to get regular people to buy in. This includes potential privacy concerns, which played a big role in Google Glass' demise. Recording video with camera-equipped glasses is more subtle than holding up your phone, although Meta and Google's glasses have a light on the front to let other people know when a wearer is capturing content. Perhaps the biggest challenge will be convincing consumers that they need yet another tech device in their life, particularly those who don't need prescription glasses. The products need to be worth wearing on people's faces all day. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg presents Orion AR glasses at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on September 25, 2024. Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters And these devices likely won't come cheap. Meta's Ray-Bans usually cost around $300, roughly the price of a smartwatch. While that's not nearly as expensive as the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro headset, it still may be a tough sell as people spend less on ancillary tech products. Global smartwatch shipments fell for the first time in March, according to Counterpoint Research, perhaps a sign that customers aren't spending as much on devices they may not view as essential. Yet tech firms are willing to make that bet to avoid missing out on what could be the next blockbuster tech product. 'Many in the industry believe that the smartphone will eventually be replaced by glasses or something similar to it,' said Ubrani the IDC analyst. 'It's not going to happen today. It's going to happen many years from now, and all these companies want to make sure that they're not going to miss out on that change.'

Amazon's Newest Echo Frames and Echo Spot Bundle Saves You $170 Compared to Buying Separately
Amazon's Newest Echo Frames and Echo Spot Bundle Saves You $170 Compared to Buying Separately

Gizmodo

time13-05-2025

  • Business
  • Gizmodo

Amazon's Newest Echo Frames and Echo Spot Bundle Saves You $170 Compared to Buying Separately

You can get an Amazon Echo Spot and Echo Frames bundle for 49% off right now, which is a steep discount. If you like the idea of having Alexa always within earshot but don't want another device cluttering your desk or kitchen counter, Amazon's Echo Frames might be the wearable upgrade you didn't know you needed. These smart glasses that actually look like regular glasses, and they're super easy to use. You just put them on and you can control your Amazon Echo devices, like an Echo Spot. And, perhaps most importantly, they don't make you look like a total dork. See at Amazon Get your Amazon Echo Frames and Echo Spot bundle right now on sale at Amazon for just $180. That's $170 less than buying both items separately, down from their normal price bundled together of $350. That's a 49% discount. A tempting combo to make your life much easier So you get the Amazon Echo Frames and Echo Spot in one package here, which means they can be used together. And the glasses don't flash or buzz or dominate your face. You can get them with prescription lenses, and from the outside, most people probably won't even realize you're wearing smart glasses. But once they're on, you can ask Alexa to read your notifications, set reminders, control smart home devices, take calls, or queue up a playlist without having to use your phone or even lift a finger. The audio quality has been upgraded in this generation over the last one, too. The open-ear design directs sound toward your ears while keeping it mostly private. It's not meant to replace your earbuds for deep music sessions, but for casual listening, podcasts, and phone calls, it does the trick. And you still stay fully aware of your surroundings, which is a big plus for walking, commuting, or hanging out somewhere that's super busy. The battery life is solid, too. You get about six hours of active use or up to 14 hours of mixed use throughout the day. When it's time to recharge, the included stand tops them off in around two and a half hours. So that way you don't have to sit around and wait for them to get charged up again for too long. They also support multipoint pairing, which means you can be connected to both your phone and computer at the same time. Switching between calls, music, and voice commands happens automatically without needing to dig through menus. This bundle is just $180 (-49%), which saves you nearly $200 for two completely different devices that pair well together. Make sure you snag it before you have to pay separately for both again. See at Amazon

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