Ray-Ban Stories, the sunglasses with video camera

The well-known sunglasses manufacturer EssilorLuxottica is now also entering the electronics path with the Ray-Ban Stories. Is this ultimate spy gadget, which also makes you look really cool, a valuable addition to your outfit?

Ray-Ban Stories, inconspicuous sunglasses

When the very first smartglasses showed up, Google Glass, it got quite a few negative comments from people who felt they were being spied on. You don’t have to worry about that with the Ray-Ban Stories. Except for the red flashing light. At first glance, these are indistinguishable from normal Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Unobtrusive electronics powerhouse

But appearances can be deceiving, these sunglasses contain quite a bit of smart electronics. The manufacturer of Ray-Ban worked together with Meta, the parent company of Facebook. It contains two 50 megapixel video cameras, micro speakers and a bill for three microphones. So you can use these glasses as a headset. The resolution of the photos is quite decent at 2592x1944px, that of the video camera at 1184×1184 pixels is somewhat less. The glasses contain a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Control by hand, voice and an app

Why would Facebook have such a device developed? The answer is that with these glasses it is literally possible with the push of a button to share photos and videos on your Facebook wall. The launch of these glasses was a bit of a let down because just when sales were about to start, the Covid epidemic broke out and large parts of the world’s population were locked up in their homes.

A reasonably affordable James Bond gadget

The glasses are available in four models, Round, Meteor, Wayfarer and Clear, a model without tinted lenses. Each model is equipped with the same electronics. They come with a glasses case, which charges the glasses wirelessly.

When you consider what you get for it, these glasses, priced between $300 and $400, aren’t even that expensive.

Belgians are lucky with Ray-Ban Stories

Unfortunately, it is not very easy to get these glasses in the Netherlands. Officially this is not sold in the Netherlands. If you order via the American Amazon, deliveries in the Netherlands will be refused. The Dutch Ray-Ban site does not show this product either. Belgian readers are in luck. They can buy these glasses through the Belgian Ray-Ban site to order. So if you give a Belgian acquaintance a sweet look, they can order one for you.