Regardless of the previous success a technology firm may have seen with some products, there is inevitably at least one device that fails to live up to the hype post-launch. Amazon had a taste of this with its short-lived Fire phone, and Meta is witnessing similar trends with a range of issues, from indifference towards the Metaverse to its Ray-Ban Stories smart sunglasses, according to reports. An internal document from Meta that was seen by The Wall Street Journal discloses that less than ten percent of Ray-Ban Stories owners actively use the product on a regular basis.
From their inception in September 2021 to February 2023, Ray-Ban sold approximately 300,000 of these smart glasses. However, when Meta conducted the study, only 27,000 users were found to be actively using them each month. This was attributed to complications such as poor connectivity and battery life issues. While the initial sale of the sunglasses might be seen as a win, the disappointing user retention rate does not bode well for consistent sales. Meta’s Reality Labs unit, which the Ray-Ban collaboration falls under, is also performing poorly, showing a loss of nearly $8 million in the first half of 2023.
Nonetheless, Meta has plans to introduce a new version of the Ray-Ban Stories either in the fall or spring. The upgraded glasses are expected to have enhanced battery life and camera capabilities and will be available in more than the existing three sunglass models. The initial generation is priced at $299, but the cost of the upcoming iteration of Ray-Ban Stories has not been disclosed yet.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ray-Ban Stories usage
What does the internal report from Meta reveal about the Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses?
The report reveals that less than ten percent of Ray-Ban Stories owners actively use the product regularly, largely due to issues like poor connectivity and battery life.
How many Ray-Ban Stories glasses were sold from their launch in September 2021 to February 2023?
Approximately 300,000 units of the Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses were sold during this period.
What issues were identified as reasons for the low usage of the Ray-Ban Stories glasses?
The issues identified were poor connectivity and problems with battery life.
How is Meta’s Reality Labs, the division under which the Ray-Ban collaboration falls, performing?
Meta’s Reality Labs is reportedly performing poorly, with a reported loss of nearly $8 million in the first half of 2023.
Is there a new version of Ray-Ban Stories glasses expected?
Yes, Meta has plans to introduce a new version of the Ray-Ban Stories with improved battery life and camera capabilities, available in more than the existing three sunglass models. However, the price of the next version is yet to be disclosed.
More about Ray-Ban Stories usage
- Meta’s Reality Labs
- Ray-Ban Stories Official Site
- The Wall Street Journal
- Amazon’s Fire Phone
- Meta’s Metaverse Project
- BuyTechBlog (Note: As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, this URL did not lead to a functioning website. Please confirm the correct link.)
5 comments
wow, didnt expect Ray-Ban stories to bomb that badly… better luck next time Meta!
so much for the ‘future of technology’. maybe focus on improving current tech before creating new ones, Meta!
Always the same story…great tech let down by poor battery life. Sigh!
I got one of these glasses. Connectivity is a real pain, hope they fix it in the next version.
who needs smart glasses anyway! My good old Ray-Ban aviators work just fine 🙂