By Andrew Karp: Group Editor, Lenses + Technology

 
LAS VEGAS—Shamir is launching a new progressive lens, Shamir InTouch, that is designed for frequent users of handheld digital devices.

Introducing the lens at a press conference held here earlier this month at Vision Expo West, Matt Lytle, vice president of marketing at Shamir, noted, “Forty-six percent of adults use smart phones, with an estimated 982 million using these devices worldwide by 2015. We’ve come to a point where this trend is growing exponentially. This has created a new reading zone of 15 to 27 inches away from the face, which until now, has not been served by today’s progressive lenses.”

Added Raanan Naftalovich, Shamir CEO, “The old progressive design doesn’t work for this application.”

This everyday Freeform progressive features an enhanced corridor that provides a quicker transition to the add power in the intermediate zone, and a wider intermediate area. The new lenses are available in standard plastic, SuperLite 1.60, SuperLite 1.67, SuperLite 1.74, Polycarbonate and DLC Trivex, and can be ordered through Shamir’s network of autograph partner laboratories. ■

akarp@jobson.com