What exactly is the purpose of smart glasses? Google wanted us to believe that it would replace smartphones, but that didn't quite work out. Snapchat has been offering it as a fashion accessory, a very tech-savvy toy that records videos, while keeping you stylish. But neither approach has worked out to popularise smart glasses. And now Amazon is here with a different take. It doesn't think smart glasses will replace a smartphone anytime soon. Instead it wants to sell a pair of smart glasses as an extension to phones, with some help from Alexa. At a high-profile event in Seattle, it unveiled its first-ever pair of smart glasses, the Echo Frames, which will be available on an invitation basis for $180 in the US. The idea of the Echo Frames is clear, to make the smart glasses more interactive in situations when you are away from your phone.The focus is on how to make the smart glasses as part of your lifestyle. I had a chance to briefly test out the Amazon Echo Frames at the launch event, and here are my initial impressions. Read more: Amazon hardware event 2019: Everything announced, from Echo Frames to Echo Buds The Echo Frames doesn’t look different from most standard glasses. They have the right size and feel just right to wear. At the moment, Amazon showed just one style, as they are part of the Amazon Day 1 program. But the glasses do support prescription lenses. Look, the Echo Frames aren't trying to become the Google Glass, Snapchat’s Spectacles or North’s smart focals, which is backed by Amazon. The tech giant wants the Echo Frames to be like normal glasses, but unlike other smart glasses, they don’t have a camera or display within the frames. What they have is Alexa built-in, which is kind of expected from an Amazon-branded device. So yes, the Echo Frames work just like any other Echo smart speaker. Just say the Alexa wake word, and you get answers to most of your queries. I asked Alexa about the weather in Seattle, and her answer was prompt and loud enough to hear in a crowded room full of reporters. This was possible because of four beam-forming micro speakers that direct the sound toward your ears. There are buttons located on the glasses' arm that allow you to adjust the volume and silence the microphones. The Echo Frames are smart glasses, which means they can be used as an extension to your smartphone. The glasses, like a smartwatch, provide notifications from your smartphone. And for that you need to use the Alexa app. By swiping along the side of the glasses, one can accept a notification or dismiss it. So when you receive any notification, Alexa will tell you what app the notification is from. You can choose to accept or dismiss the notification - all of this depends on you. I was impressed by Amazon’s vision to create a simple pair of smart glasses that work. At $180, the price is right for people to at least consider the smart glasses. However, keep in mind that Amazon is releasing the Echo Frames as part of its Day 1 program. Like all “Day One edition” devices, the Echo Frames will have limited availability before being released to the general public. The glasses are sort of an experiment, something Amazon isn't shy of accepting. Disclaimer: The author is in Seattle on the behalf of Amazon India
