You get just over three hours of continuous listening out of the Frames before the battery runs dry, which is normally enough. Charging is fairly slow and needs a proprietary magnetic USB cable that snaps on to the inside of the right arm. The sunglasses can last for three and a half hours according to Bose, and we found that to be accurate in our testing. 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.

Bose Frames (Tempo, Tenor and Soprano) review | TechRadar Bose Frames (Tempo, Tenor and Soprano) review | TechRadar

We were recommended another app called Komrad AR, which is a game that lets you chat with a 'Soviet AI' from 1985, and we’re hoping to test that out further for future updates to this review.

Pitch imperfect

It’s worth noting how much bigger the Alto glasses are than the Rondo. Some people we handed them to with smaller heads found they wouldn’t sit on their face, so the size difference is something to consider here if you buy some. The Bose Frames look similar to many ordinary pairs of plastic-framed sunglasses fitted with polarized lenses. Crank them up beyond 85% volume and you start to hear distortion, but they pretty loud by that point. Most of my listening was about at 60% on the street or about 30% in quieter spots.

Bose Frames review | TechRadar

Just know the Bose Frames are unlikely to replace even average headphones anytime soon, as they simply aren't versatile enough. The original Frames were pretty good about not leaking that much sound. Unless someone was standing pretty close to you, as long as you weren't cranking the volume all the way up, people couldn't even tell you were listening to something. With these new models, you'll get more sound leakage, particularly from the Tempo, and in quieter environments people will hear whatever audio you're playing if you have the volume high. But the majority of people will use these outdoors and sound disperses better outside, so you're probably not going to bother anyone. There’s also no great way of monitoring the battery life on the glasses. When you turn them on and off, you’ll be greeted with the battery amount in audio form, but it doesn’t offer a way to monitor how much charge is left over visually from the glasses themselves. Like any other frames you can imagine, Lensology can provide prescription lenses for your Bose frames. In the real world if you have the volume below 50% people sitting right next to you won’t hear it. In fact I took delight in the look of surprise on people’s faces when I gave them the Frames and they suddenly heard my tunes blasting out as they put them on. It’s really very impressive.

So the Frames will never be the only set of headphones you need, and they could do with a battery in the case, volume controls and a few more styles, not to mention prescription lenses and some killer Bose AR apps. On the other hand, the Tenor and Soprano have 16mm drivers, and the sound is still quite enjoyable. These two models aren't quite as loud as the Tempo – at 50% volume, the Tempo was more than sufficient on a riverside walk with squawking birds and chatting strollers, while we needed to up the volume on the Soprano to about 65% to enjoy our tunes. Bose Tenor sunglasses have a refined square frame and a distinctive keyhole bridge design, offering ultimate levels of style and comfort for wearers. It’s unlikely you’ll be listening to these in too many loud locations, but when your ears are free to hear roadworks, vehicles, and even other people’s voices, it can make listening to any sort of audio too difficult to work with. AR Features

Sunglasses | Bose Bluetooth Audio Sunglasses | Bose

Bose sunglasses are built with exclusive Bose Open Ear Audio™ technology which produced a quality of sound that you’d never expect from sunglasses. With a range of different frame options available for sports and fashion, the timeless designs coupled with unmatched audio technology means that there are audio frames to suit everyone. Bose had to design tiny speakers to fit into the arms of the Frames from scratch, along with some proprietary tech that, Bose promises, directs 99% of the sound to the wearer’s ears, with only 1% leaked.Though if you’re listening at full volume, you’ll find the leakage seems much worse than that. Once you ditch the idea that ‘augmented reality’ must equate to ‘augmented vision’ you start to understand the Frames’ potential – and it really is the AR features that make the Frames an impressive piece of hardware.That would have been a handy addition, but instead the glasses are charged via a proprietary cable that connects to a part inside the right arm of the product. Audio quality The Bose Frames Tempo also benefit from IPX4 rating, making them water- and sweat-resistant, while the Tenor and Soprano only have an IPX2 rating. The Bose Frames’ headline feature is that they're also a pair of wireless headphones, and for speakers that don’t actually sit in or on your ears, these sunglasses are rather impressive. Sound quality is surprisingly good, albeit not as full or bassy as you’ll get from a dedicated pair of cans.

Bose Frames Tempo review: the specs to beat - The Verge Bose Frames Tempo review: the specs to beat - The Verge

Bose sells replacement lenses that users pop in and out themselves in a matter of seconds, no tools required. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian One of the apps is a golfing one. It points you to the green and tells you the distance to the tee or which club to use. We found that so impressive it almost felt like we were cheating. The Bose Frames are delightful – a set of premium sunglasses that also act as your personal music system. Kept to 50% or lower those next to you can’t hear your music, but because your ears are open you can hear the world around you.

As Bose Frames use Bluetooth® connectivity, you can access any app that’s on your mobile device. Some examples include: When in Bluetooth mode, Bose Frames search for and connect to the most recently connected active Bluetooth-enabled device. If that device is unavailable, Bose Frames will attempt the next most recently connected device.