Amazon Releases New Echo Frames Smart Glasses, Cancels Experimental Echo Loop Smart Ring

Amazon is launching a new version of its Echo Frames smart glasses and making them available to the general public. Last year, the retailer released the glasses, dubbed Day 1 Edition, as part of an invite-only experimental program. Now anyone who wants a pair of the smart glasses can purchase them directly from Amazon.

Amazon used what it learned from its original Day 1 Edition Glasses and made several improvements in the newly-released Echo Frames.

This latest version dynamically adjusts the volume of the speakers based on the background noise of the surroundings. The original version had an open ear design that allowed users to hear replies at a set volume.

Amazon also optimized the battery life of the Echo Frames with a new auto-off feature. When you take off the glasses, you can put them upside down on a surface for three seconds, and they will automatically turn off. This and other power optimizations improve battery life by 40 percent.

The VIP filter is one popular feature that transitioned from the experimental Day 1 Edition glasses to the Echo Frames. This filter only alerts users when they receive notifications from specific apps and contacts that the user chooses. Amazon not only kept this feature, but the company also expanded it to include group messages and calendar alerts.

While Amazon moved its Day 1 glasses into the public realm, the company simultaneously canceled its other experimental product, the Echo Loop ring. Customers who purchased an experimental Echo Loop ring can continue to use it. Amazon will continue to support it for an unspecified amount of time.

Amazon is now selling the new Echo Frames for $249, up from the $180 testers had to pay for the original Day One edition. These Alexa-enabled smart glasses come in three colors – the original black, a new tortoise, and a new blue color choice. Amazon will begin accepting pre-orders now with an expected ship date of December 10th.