They fit my lifestyle really well, though I admit this kind of device is not for everyone.
π Pros#
Why I like them, in no particular order:
They look stylish, so I can wear them even when I am not filming anything.
Built-in speakers let me listen to music without losing touch with the real world. That is useful while running or cycling, when I still need to hear what is happening around me.
I have used them as an action camera on a bicycle, roller skates, climbing / via ferrata, unstable motor boats, sports games, while driving, and in many other situations where both hands are needed or holding a phone feels risky. I recently realized they could also be useful for recording myself playing guitar.
When traveling, they are convenient as a camera that is always ready. You walk around a new city and know that something interesting can happen any second. Taking out a phone, waking it, and launching the camera takes two or three seconds that you sometimes do not have. If I am already wearing the glasses, pressing the button without looking is easy.
The videos are first-person, which sometimes helps preserve memories from my actual point of view: where I looked, what caught my attention, how I experienced a place. It also works well for recording first moments of warm meetings with friends you have not seen for years, or just having a beer with friends at Oktoberfest. That is harder to do naturally with a phone.
π Cons#
There are drawbacks, some obvious and some less so:
Videos are limited to 60 seconds.
The videos are square, optimized for Instagram.
The glasses can store maybe around 20 minutes of video before memory runs out and you need to transfer files to the phone.
Stabilization is decent and resolution is acceptable, but it is nowhere near modern smartphones or GoPro.
Unlike real action cameras, they are delicate, afraid of water, and afraid of drops, like normal glasses.
βοΈ RB Stories vs iPhone vs GoPro#
I love this device because it fills the gap between smartphones, action cameras, stylish glasses, and wireless headphones. In each category there are devices that are much better at the specialized job, but these glasses combine the tradeoffs nicely.
I am not an extreme-sports person. I need hands-free filming at most once every few months, so buying a GoPro and dealing with mounts and spare batteries feels like too much work.
I always have a phone with me, but it needs hands and does not really give the same first-person view.
I do not need another pair of glasses.
I do have separate running headphones, but they look very sporty and do not work with normal non-sports clothes.
A demo instead of a thousand words#
One of my favorite videos: I am the camera operator. You cannot really shoot that on a phone. π
Well, maybe you can, but I would worry about the phone, and probably about myself too. π
π‘ Don’t forget to select the highest quality on YouTube.
π§ Bonus for the curious#
Q: What about the camera being shifted to the side? Does the video look off-center because you record slightly to the right of your focus?
A: I have never noticed it in practice.
Q: Does transferring videos to the phone take long?
A: Transferring 15-20 videos takes about two minutes total. Not instant, but not painful either.
Q: How long does the battery last?
A: The battery lasts a long time if you take photos and listen to music, but drains faster when filming video. Memory is usually the bigger limitation than battery.
They also charge from the case, which has a large battery. One full case charge is probably around ten charges for the glasses. So it is enough to put them in the case occasionally when you are not filming, and then battery is not really a problem.