Less than a week after unveiling its latest wireless earbuds, Soundcore by Anker has revealed its first pair of music-playing glasses. The Soundcore Frames come in ten "stylish frame options" and boast a detachable frame system that lets you mix and match styles.
Like most audio glasses, Soundcore's specs perform the same job as wireless earbuds without blocking your ears. They feature Bluetooth 5.2 for audio streaming and two miniaturised loudspeakers in each arm. The main speaker is located front of the user’s ear, with another located behind the ear to create an "immersive" stereo sound.
Buyers can choose one of ten styles of Soundcore Frames, then purchase additional frames in an assortment of sizes, shapes and styles including tinted sunglasses and optical, blue-light filtering frames. You can even take the frames to your local optometrist and have them fitted with prescription lenses.
Battery-wise, Soundcore claims the glasses offer 5.5 hours of playback on a single charge. Short of time? They fast charge an additional 1.5 hours of playback with a 10 minute charge. You can skip tracks and answer phones calls using customisable touch and swipe motions, or via the built-in voice controls. They have wearing detection, too.
What happens when someone calls you? Well, the glasses' private listening mode automatically kicks in, reducing sound leakage and allowing the dual microphones to pick up your voice clearly over any background noise. Nice.
If you're wondering how the Soundcore Frames will fare at the pool, they're rated IPX4, so they can resist the occasional splash of water. The polarised lenses are scratch-proof, and the hinges flex by up to eight degrees so they should rest comfortably on your ears.
Lastly, Soundcore says you can customise the sound experience via the Soundcore app, which lets you tweak EQ settings, tailor the touch controls and use the company's "virtual try-on" feature to pick out additional frames.
Fancy a pair of audio glasses that don't look quite as 'Clark Kent' as some early models, such as the 2018 Bose Frames? Anker's Soundcore Frames are due out in "early/mid-November" priced at £150 / $200 (around AU$280). Additional frame models will be available via Soundcore's website "in the coming weeks" priced at £50 / $50 (around AU$70).
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