Amazon Rolls Out 2nd-Generation Smart Glasses, Scraps Smart Ring

Amazon’s Echo Frames smart glasses, announced last year and available to select customers under the company’s Day 1 Editions program, are available for everyone to preorder for Dec. 10 shipping, blogged the company Thursday. Shoppers who were part of the invitation-only Day 1 Editions program, which introduces new concepts for customer feedback, can buy updated Echo Frames for $70, Amazon said. The Alexa-based glasses have mics that respond to the wearer's voice and can be turned off with a double-click of the action button. Users can ask Alexa to make calls, set reminders, add to to-do lists, get news, listen to podcasts and control smart home devices; they can also choose which notifications to receive from contacts and apps on a paired smartphone. The open-ear audio design directs sound to the wearer’s ears while minimizing what others can hear, Amazon said, and the volume adjusts based on ambient noise level. The frames also support access to Google Assistant and Siri from a compatible device with a long press of the temple, it said. Improvements in the second-generation frames include better audio quality, longer battery life, new colors and features that make it easier to interact with Alexa. Amazon added support for calendars and group messaging so users can keep their phone in their pocket “without worrying about missing an important update.” Echo Frames come with non-corrective lenses and are compatible with most prescription lenses, said Amazon. Echo Loop, a smart ring that was trialed under the Day 1 Editions program, will not advance, with production and sales ending, Amazon said: “We learned a lot about how customers want to use Alexa for short, snackable content throughout the day, and we will take that with us as we continue to invent new customer experiences.” Customers who bought Echo Loop will continue to receive updates and support and can use their devices as they do today, Amazon said.