BreakingNews·190109 - Eye tests available on your smartphone

　　There is new technology that means we may no longer need to go to the optician for an eye test. The new technology is a device that is used with a smartphone. The device tests our eyes and gives us a number that tells us how good or bad our eyesight is. We can then take this number to an optician to order a pair of glasses, or order the glasses online. The new device is from a startup company called EyeQue. It has been used to test the eyes of 50,000 people. The company says the results of the smartphone eye test are as good as the results you get by visiting an optician. The simple device costs just $30. An updated version will come out later this year and will cost between $50 to $70.
　　An EyeQue spokesman said the device was better than going to visit an optician. He said: "The reason for that is when you go to the eye doctor, it's one moment in time. You may be having a bad day. You may be nervous. The doctor may be in a hurry. What we do is different measures over time. We are able to average it out, and we get a better result." However, the spokesman said the device wasn't a replacement for the optician. An optician will check for things the device cannot check for, like cataracts and lens damage. One optician said, "the EyeQue, used correctly and regularly, could actually speed up identification" of problems which an optician could then help with.