Bose Taking Preorders for Frames, Its First Augmented Reality Wearable
Bose began taking preorders for its first augmented reality glasses, shown in prototype form this year at the South by Southwest conference. Shipping for the $199 Frames is slated for next month, and compatible AR apps are due next year,…
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said the company. Bose’s concept for an open-air audio AR headset was compelling to the headphone maker, Mehul Trivedi, director-Bose Frames, told us. “As we think about what we want the world to look like, this idea of a heads-up, hands-free universe is something we think could be really revolutionary.” Frames are Bose’s first step in AR, and the company wanted to build a product that looked like something familiar -- “like a really great pair of sunglasses” -- that brings Bose quality while setting “the foundation for an audio augmented reality wearable.” The Frames’ acoustic package is built into each arm’s interior rather than in an earbud or attached component, said Trivedi. The sound fires into users’ ears at the same time circuitry suppresses ambient sound. “If I’m listening to it at a normal listening level, someone about a foot away from me is not going to hear it,” Trivedi said, saying it’s “private audio but still open-ear to the customer.” Bose differentiates the Frames from other AR glasses and platforms, saying, "Bose AR doesn’t change what you see, or use a lens or phone camera to superimpose objects in your sightline." The technology is said to know where a user is and what she's facing using a 9-axis head motion sensor and smartphone GPS data -- and then adds a layer of audio, "connecting that place and time" to apps for travel, learning, entertainment and gaming. An Engadget YouTube video from SXSW showed a reviewer seeing a description of a restaurant she was looking at on an Austin street after tapping on the side of the glasses “to find interesting things nearby.” A button on the temple activates the built-in mic that’s used for telephony and native virtual personal assistant support for use with Siri with the iPhone or Google Assistant and compatible Android phones, Trivedi said.