Bose AR : Hear The Difference

March 1, 2019

Nadia Marzuki

I’m not exaggerating when I say that there are plenty of Augmented Reality (AR) smart glasses out there. And since its inception, Augmented Reality (AR) has been more focused on the visual aspect. It can get kind of trying to have to read everything that’s in front of you, don’t you think? Wouldn’t it be easier if you just heard what was in front of you? Look at something and you hear a description rather than reading texts that block your view. And for that purpose, here comes Bose AR!

Bose is well known for its audio products and equipments but last year they developed Bose AR, which is an audio augmented reality platform. This platform allows the creation of applications and wearables to deliver experiences where you hear what you see. With that I’m picturing an audio AR guided tour while walking around cultural heritage areas. I’d be hearing instead of reading about the buildings or places I am looking at. This could also be an opportunity to create experiences for the visually impaired. I feel like with the progression of AR, we’ve forgotten some minorities that make up our community.

So to start off with their platform, Bose recently launched Bose Frames – a pair of sunglasses that have built-in speakers. The glasses comes in two designs: Rondo and Alto. In order to use the shades you have to connect to the Bose Connect App via Bluetooth. It also has an integrated microphone. Excuse me while I hold a farewell ceremony for my Bluetooth earbud. Every pair is Bose AR enabled so all it needs is an AR app. If you’re an interested developer, check out the platform.

Currently, the shades are only available in the United States and will be globally available sometime in March (few more days to go!). I will definitely check them out at the store once it gets here. Keep your ears to the ground for new developments on fashionable, life-changing Bose AR wearables!