Amazon is eager to get early adopters to use its new Echo frames The company is offering a $75 discount on all three styles

That means prescription-ready frames for $195 instead of $270, blue light filter models for $225 instead of $300, and sunglasses for $255 instead of $330 All three are available in square or circular designs and a handful of colors available

Like previous models, Amazon's smart glasses do not attempt to mimic Google Glass by attaching a screen to your face, nor do they attempt to mimic Meta by letting you record your surroundings Instead, the Echo Frames bring Amazon's Alexa smart assistant to your face, allowing you to ask questions, control your smart home, and play your phone's audio through the tiny built-in speaker

Of course, early adoption comes with risks, and Amazon has not said exactly how long the introductory pricing will last It's wise to see what critics say, but according to our Kate Kozuch's hands-on review of the Echo Frames 3, the Echo Frames seem to be a solid step in the right direction

For starters, the company has made great strides in hiding its technology in plain sight Early versions looked like a cross between a computer and a Dollar Store frame, but this time the slimmer temples and overall understated design make them far more convincing as regular glasses

In addition to being a bit lighter and better balanced, Amazon also introduced multipoint pairing The idea is that you can go back and forth between your phone, laptop, smart speaker, and tablet without having to reconnect each time

Amazon promises 40% more continuous media playback time, 80% more talk time, and improved battery life In addition, while we were able to listen to the speakers, we could only conclude that the bass was improved due to the noisy listening environment

However, if you are concerned about disturbing your neighbors, you are right Even in the demo area, the music we auditioned was clear enough that people nearby could identify the songs in question In other words, it is not suitable for public transportation

All the same, early impressions point to a big improvement over the previous generation, which earned a middling 35 stars in our Echo Frames 2 review Mike Prospero, the US editor-in-chief, concluded, "The Echo Frames needs to sound a lot better before we'll pay $250 for it" We'll soon find out if the third generation gets our seal of approval