Facebook launches “smartglasses”
Facebook has launched its much-anticipated smartglasses, a pair of $299 Ray-Bans that have audio and video-capture capabilities. What the glasses do not seem to include is anything truly “smart” though, as there is no screen within the glasses and therefore no ability to view web content, never mind Facebook’s dream of the metaverse. Having said that, Snap paved the way for glasses such as these Ray-Bans and we expect the glasses will see some success.
The NPD Take:
- Glasses that record video create divergent emotions. Seemingly a neat idea for capturing every moment of your life, they also create a further lack of privacy for the people you are videoing. Indeed, if there was one feature in the original Google Glass that drove its failure, I would say it was the video capture feature. So this is a bold move.
Apple Watch Series 7
The launch of Series 7 is expected at Apple’s event tomorrow. And if there was any doubt that a watch will be included, well you just need to look at the price drops for Apple’s previous Watch devices in retail right now. The Series 6 is available for $70 off, bringing the price down to $329.
The NPD Take:
- The launch of a new Apple Watch typically drives a spike in sales – both due to the previous models being reduced in price, as well as consumers who are waiting for the new features. But we may be entering a phase where new features are no longer broad enough advances to truly help justify replacing an older model.