Meta’s Ray-Ban Tales now let customers make calls and ship messages with WhatsApp – TechCrunch

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced in the present day that the corporate is launching extra hands-free options for its Ray-Ban Tales good glasses. Beginning in the present day, Ray-Ban Tales customers could make calls, hear message readouts and ship end-to-end encrypted messages with WhatsApp. Meta added comparable performance for Fb Messenger final yr. Zuckerberg additionally introduced that customers will quickly be capable to immediately reply to Messenger or WhatsApp messages with voice instructions.

With this new replace, customers could make calls and ship messages on WhatsApp hands-free by saying “Hey Fb, ship a message to…” or “Hey Fb, name…” You may as well hearken to new messages you obtain on WhatsApp. When you get a brand new message, the glasses will say: “New message on WhatsApp from <title>: Is now a superb time to speak?” In a future replace, Meta plans so as to add the flexibility to immediately reply to incoming messages on Messenger and WhatsApp, hand-free by saying: “Hey Fb, reply” after the glasses learn out a brand new message.

The corporate notes that your private messages and calls are routinely secured with end-to-end encryption, which implies WhatsApp, Meta, and third events can’t learn or hearken to them. After the voice assistant identifies a voice command associated to WhatsApp calling or messaging, the voice transcript and audio will not be saved on any server.

Meta additionally say it plans to broaden WhatsApp and Messenger assist for French and Italian talking Ray-Ban Tales customers this yr.

Right this moment’s replace is rolling out to each the Fb View iOS and Android app in phases, and might be out there to everybody within the coming days. Meta says customers ought to be sure that they’ve the most recent app replace and firmware on their glasses.

Meta debuted its Ray-Ban Tales good glasses in September 2021 in partnership with eyewear large EssilorLuxottica. The glasses enable customers to snap images and movies with the 2 onboard 5 MP cameras, hearken to music with in-frame audio system and take telephone calls. The glasses should be linked to an iOS or Android machine for full performance, although customers can take and retailer tons of of images or dozens of movies on the glasses earlier than transferring media to their telephones through Fb’s new View app. The dual cameras enable customers so as to add 3D results to their images and movies as soon as they add them to the app.

The good sun shades are available in three basic Ray-Ban kinds, with various coloration and lens mixtures. The Ray-Ban Tales are absolutely suitable with prescription lenses. The glasses begin at $299, with polarized and transition lens choices out there at a better value level.

On the time of the launch, Meta indicated that the machine was a stepping stone for its AR ambitions and an effort to get customers acquainted with the thought of high-tech glasses.

The launch of the brand new options comes as Meta is alleged to be scaling again its plans for its AR glasses, based on a current report from The Info. The corporate reportedly had initially deliberate to launch the primary model of its AR glasses, that are codenamed Mission Nazare, in 2024. Nonetheless, staff have been notified that Meta not plans to commercially launch the AR glasses resulting from efforts to chop again on heavy investments in its Actuality Labs and AR/VR division. The corporate plans to as an alternative use the primary model of the AR glasses as an indication product, versus a business one. Meta is now planning to prioritize the discharge of the second model of the AR glasses, codenamed Artemis.