EssilorLuxottica is expanding assistive eyewear with Nuance Audio Plus, FDA-cleared hearing glasses for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. The frames integrate directional microphones, beamforming technology, and open-ear speakers to amplify conversations while leaving the ears unobstructed. The updated generation offers approximately 10 hours of battery life, improved speech clarity, physical volume controls, and the ability to manage compatible iPhone calls directly from the glasses. Three frame styles and five colors make the technology resemble conventional eyewear rather than a medical device.
The product gives EssilorLuxottica an opportunity to combine the vision and hearing categories within a single wearable. With Nuance Audio already distributed across thousands of stores internationally, the Plus model can broaden the portfolio through additional features, styles, and price points. Its $829 starting U.S. price also positions hearing technology as a premium eyewear purchase distributed through optical and hearing-care professionals.
Image Credit: Nuance Audio
What's Driving This Trend
- Assistive Eyewear
- Fashion-forward frames with embedded hearing support create room for medical-grade functionality to blend into everyday accessories without visible stigma.
- Invisible Hearing Tech
- Discreet audio amplification within familiar consumer products suggests new potential for shifting hearing care from clinical devices to lifestyle wearables.
- Multisensory Wearables
- Combining vision correction, directional audio, and call management in one device points to integrated wearables that consolidate health, communication, and accessibility features.
Who This Affects Most
- Eyewear
- Premium optical retailers can benefit from connected frames that expand glasses beyond vision correction into assistive and communication-driven products.
- Hearing Care
- The category gains a pathway to reach mild-to-moderate hearing loss consumers through stylish, lower-friction devices sold outside traditional hearing aid formats.
- Consumer Electronics
- Wearable audio and smart accessory makers face opportunities around beamforming, battery efficiency, and phone integration in devices designed for continuous daily use.
