I can get away with listening to music or podcasts in public without anyone knowing, but it also means people don't realise that I might not be able to hear them which can lead to a few awkward social encounters! However, if you’re intrigued by the functionality of the Bose Alto and don’t have too high expectations regarding audio reproduction, the convenience and comfort offered by these hands-free audio sunglasses will certainly hit all the right notes.

They connect easily via Bluetooth, and the Bose Connect app (available on iOS and Android) on your smart device guides you through set-up. The curvy contour is neatly designed to let your ears sit directly in the firing line of the tiny speakers that are housed within, and also to position the microphone correctly for your voice. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. You get just over three hours of continuous listening out of the Frames before the battery runs dry, which is normally enough.While limited in use cases (and battery life), Bose’s Frames represent a brilliant first step in a burgeoning new headphone genre, the applications of which are only beginning to be explored. Like with those models, you control the volume by sliding your finger forward and backward on the right temple and there's a new volume-optimized EQ that Bose says reduces distortion at higher volumes while adding texture to your music at lower volumes. We tried the glasses on various walks through London and we found it almost impossible to hear voices on a podcast when walking along roads. Taking obvious inspiration from the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer, the Frames sport a very familiar design that at first glance, won't cause any confusion from anyone passing by.

But the lenses, which aren't polarized but seem pretty decent, do pop out and you could get a prescription lens on your own. Though delicately designed, the Frames should hold up well over time as long as you keep them in their case and don’t drop them on hard pavement. A tiny gold button – to match the gold-plated steel hinges – is tucked under the right arm, and is the only control on the Frames. As you have your ears free of tech, you can suddenly hear yourself speaking clearly during the conversation, something missing from hands-free communication while wearing in-ears or bulkier headphones covering the auricles.When I'm on the phone, I have full use of both hands, and my ears are fully open and situationally aware. Hopefully, this could be improved with a future firmware update, but it could well be one of the physical limitations of this wearable release. The Bose Connect app for iOS or Android allows for quick and easy setup, walking you through pairing and control in a matter of seconds.

That inspired more potential use cases for the Frames: A musical trek in Oregon’s emerald Gorge (without bothering my fellow hikers), pulling weeds on a Sunday afternoon, or just relaxing in the backyard with an icy drink. My ears basked in lovely tunes, even as the wind whipped by, raising the moment from sweet to sparkling, including a significant moment of reflection at a stoplight listening to Father John Misty’s rendition of Gillian Welch’s Everything is Free. Once you’re done with the Bose Alto for the day, they can be switched off by folding them and placing them upside down.The black-tinted lenses are of high-quality and work well to fight glare, designed to block 99 percent of UVA/UVB rays (which I assume is good), though they aren’t polarized. While the arms are slightly bulky, the sunglasses don't feel heavy on your head and are comfortable to wear. But the Bose Frames are delightful and leaving your ears free of buds or headphones has a clear and obvious case.

That’s what makes Bose’s Frames — headphones/sunglasses you might actually want to wear — so special. Often we found them to last a little longer, but around four hours is the maximum we were able to get over our testing period. That said, the Bose Tempo fit me the best of any of the new Bose Frames and they should fit most people well. And yet, while the Frames are just an early offering that may (or may not) help kick-start a new genre, they’re also kind of magical. While the audio AR features are still in the works, the Bose Frames managed to produce decent enough audio to make them a compelling wearable audio device that can take the place of headphones.We found ourselves regularly doing this as we took the glasses off and wore them on our shirt, but once you’ve learnt that you may have to press the gold button to reconnect you won't find that to be an issue. Again, that's audio AR only -- the glasses don't offer a Magic Leap- or HoloLens-style digital overlay of the real world. A single LED tucked into the earpiece interior shows charge status, while charging is accomplished via a gold magnetic plate and proprietary USB cable. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).