New technology means we may no longer have to go to the optician for an eye test. It is a device that is used with a smartphone. It tests our eyes and tells us how good or bad our eyesight is. We can use the test to order a pair of glasses online or from an optician. The new device is from a company called EyeQue. It has already tested the eyes of 50,000 people. EyeQue says the smartphone eye test is as good as the test you get at an optician. The simple device costs just $30. A newer version will come out later this year. It will cost between $50 to $70.
EyeQue said the device was better than visiting an optician. It said: "When you go to the eye doctor, it's one moment in time. You may be having a bad day....The doctor may be in a hurry. What we do is different measures over time. We...average it out, and we get a better result." The company said the device wasn't a replacement for the optician. An optician checks for things the device cannot check for, like cataracts and lens damage. One optician said the EyeQue could speed up the identification of problems, which an optician could then help with.