Bose launched a new audio product in late 2018, in the shape of two pairs of sunglasses equipped with tiny speakers and a microphone. And clearly the company has had some success with them as three more flavors have now joined the Frames lineup.
As before, the three new additions to Frames line are stylish eyewear first, and entertainment/information providers second. They have polarized lenses and block up to 99 percent of UV rays, but are also promised to deliver "the functionality of premium headphones."
The sporty Tempo Frames are reckoned to be the best performers of the three, reported to be durable, flexible and lightweight and designed for outdoor types. They're designed to fit under most protective helmets, are sweat-, weather-, scratch and shatter-resistant, feature custom spring hinges, thermoplastic elastomer temple tips for stable comfort, and come with three different shaped nose pads to keep them in place no matter what activity you're involved in. The standard polycarbonate lenses have visible light transmission of 12 percent, but other options are available – for very low, low and medium light levels.
Each arm has a 22-mm full-range driver at the temple, for the highest fidelity output in the line up and audio that's loud enough to be heard while cycling at 25 mph (40 km/h). These Frames offer up to eight hours of per charge battery life, topped up over USB-C.
The two other additions are designed for everyday wear, differing only in frame shape. The Tenor and Soprano both rock two 16-mm speakers in the arms which are said to provide a better bass response than the originals, and promise more responsive and detailed delivery. Battery life for these Frames sunglasses in 5.5 hours.
All of the new models wirelessly connect to a music source such as a smartphone over Bluetooth 5.1, and come with a dual-beamforming microphone array for improved voice pickup, while signal processing improves voice communication and chats with a digital assistant. Wind and ambient noise is also cut back for call clarity.
The Frames are touch-enabled for playback, volume control and for taking calls, and distortion won't creep in when you crank up the volume thanks to volume-optimized EQ, which also ensures that you won't lose the low frequencies if you turn down the volume.
The Tempo, Tenor and Soprano Frames are on sale now for US$249.95 each.
Product page: Bose Frames
