Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are a useful extension of your phone, providing quick and free access to the camera, AI assistant, and calls. However, there are some key things you should know before purchasing.
Mashable Rating
Rating: 42
Performance: 4.50
Value for money: 4.50
Pros: Surprisingly good sound, clear calls, hands-free experiences, easy syncing of photos and videos
Cons: AI system currently limited, average battery life, if you lose the case, you’ll be in trouble, unresponsive customer service
Update: December 13, 2023, 1:43 PM EST
Meta has announced that it has launched smarter AI features, but as you’ll discover in this review, I wasn’t able to test these new features after making a major error.
If you expect Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to deliver AI capabilities akin to ChatGPT and provide you with stunning visual information before your eyes, you will be disappointed.
However, if you accept them for what they are, which is a great pair of glasses that extend your phone, providing easy, hands-free access to calls and taking pictures and videos, as well as a virtual assistant, plus the ability to play, pause, and skip songs with quick touches – you will be satisfied.
Well, at least mostly.
After spending several weeks testing the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, I was impressed by some aspects but frustrated by others.
Price of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
I purchased the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for $299 from the Ray-Ban website.
There are different lenses you can choose from: tinted or clear. There’s even a “transitions” model, which is an artistic blend of the two, adapting to your surroundings based on the lighting. So on a sunny day, the lenses will remain dark. In darker environments, the glasses are clearer.
What model did I choose? I opted for the “Wayfarers” model, imagine Tom Cruise in the movie “Risky Business.” You can also get the “Headliners” model, but the latter is a bit too much for my taste. I chose glossy black frames with amber lenses.
What I Like About Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses surprised me, in a good way, as they have a very sleek and thin design, and some of their capabilities exceeded my expectations. The sound is surprisingly clear.
I didn’t expect the sound coming from the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to be this good. I played Spotify, and to my surprise, the sound of Harry Styles’ song “As It Was” was rich, full, and smooth – and most importantly – immersive. It seems that Meta’s engineers have designed the open speakers to direct sound straight into my ears.
I own Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones and Apple AirPods Pro, but I would replace them with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. My Sony headphones lack portability, and my Apple AirPods Pro keep falling out of my ears, but these glasses are compact and don’t fall off my face, resolving the previously mentioned discomfort. Now, I won’t go so far as to say that the Ray-Ban smart glasses sound better than those famous headphones, but they provide a better experience for me as a traveler.
Phone calls were also clear on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. People on the other end told me that my voice sounded loud and clear in quiet places. However, as expected, while walking in noisy environments (like sirens or strong winds), I was told otherwise – that my voice was “acceptable” and sounded somewhat muffled.
Smooth controls
I can play, pause, and skip songs using quick taps on the highly sensitive panel on the right temple. For example, if I want to pause or play a song, I can tap once. To skip forward, I tap twice. After tapping three times, I can go back to the previous song.
Syncing
Easily capture photos and videos with your phone
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses support a very wide-angle camera, offering 12-megapixel photos and 60-second video recordings at 1080p resolution. And yes, once the 60 seconds are up, I can start a new recording from where I left off. When I’m ready to check out all the photos and videos I’ve captured, I open a companion app called “Meta View,” which syncs every photo and video I’ve taken.
In this app, I can choose to save them to my photo library or share them with a friend. It’s also worth noting that the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have a live streaming feature on Facebook and Instagram, which I haven’t tested as I’m not an influencer, but it’s perfect for content creators who want to show the world through their eyes. The live stream content is continuously fed to viewers (like having no time limit), however, it will drain the battery quickly.
A hands-free world
As someone living in New York and often using the subway, I frequently encounter strange scenes and quirky characters. In those moments, I often have to rummage through my bag to find my phone, and by the time I pull it out, the moment has already passed. However, with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, I can quickly start recording with a simple touch.
Accepting and receiving calls – without having to hold anything – is another standout selling point of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
These fun glasses come in handy during moments when you want to capture what you’re doing but your hands are busy (for example, while cooking a meal). For instance: one of my family members wanted to know how I made my beloved sweet potato pie. So, with the smart glasses on my face, I showed him how I mixed all the delicious ingredients in a bowl – all without needing a tripod.
Status updates when placed on your face
I love that the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses “know” when they are placed on my face because every time I put them on, an audible update (i.e., Meta’s artificial intelligence) announces the battery status, which is helpful.
What I don’t like about the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
There are some aspects of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that I don’t like, but I can’t say that I hate them; I’m simply indifferent.
The photos and videos are good – in the right lighting
In well-lit environments, the photos and videos captured by the Meta glasses look acceptable. No, they are not better than what my iPhone 15 Pro Max could achieve. And of course, it’s not Meta’s aim to surpass iPhones. Nevertheless, the quality of the photos and recordings from the glasses is sufficient. It is worth noting, however, that the photo quality decreases in low-light environments, such as a dim restaurant, for example.
Look at the picture of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses capturing an ornament hanging on a Christmas tree inside Bryant Park – and compare it to a wide-angle shot from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Remember that I cropped the images from the smart glasses to match the landscape orientation of the Pro Max. (The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses produce photos in portrait mode.)
I wish I had chosen a different style
I regret not buying the “transitions” design. Why? As much as I love sunglasses, they are not socially acceptable to wear at night or indoors.
Sound leakage
Yes, people will be able to hear the music, podcasts, and conversations that you’re having.
The only way to avoid this is to keep the volume below 30%. But even then, passersby will hear some sound, although it will be muffled and incomprehensible.
Battery life
The battery is good
From my experience, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can last a day on a single charge. When I tested them, I started at 100% at 9:51 AM on Tuesday. I played music, took photos and videos, and made a 15-minute call. During meetings and while working, the glasses remained inactive. By 2:49 PM, the battery dropped to 43%.
At around 3 PM, I made another 15-minute call. During my hour-and-a-half commute to work, I played more music. By the time I got home, which was around 7:30 PM, the battery had dropped to 16%.
Fortunately, you can get more power from the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses using the charging case.
What I Don’t Like About Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
I don’t like the position of the photo capture button
The photo capture button, located on the left arm, allows you to take pictures (by pressing once) and record video (by pressing and holding before releasing).
However, it is situated in a position where I naturally want to grab the glasses to readjust them on my face. Consequently, I often found myself accidentally taking incorrect pictures.
Meta AI is still in its early stages – currently
Meta AI is still in its early stages – and it shows. On one hand, it works great when it comes to executing commands. For example, I love how I can say “Meta, call my mom on WhatsApp,” and within seconds, the phone connects me to her. On the other hand, its AI capabilities are not at the level of ChatGPT just yet.
In fact, I tried smart glasses equipped with ChatGPT technology. Called Solos AirGo 3, their ability to answer questions, and even handle instant translation and language translation, is impressive. Therefore, you can understand why I feel slightly disappointed with Meta AI. Of course, the chatbot can easily answer trivial questions like “How tall is the Eiffel Tower?”, “How many countries are in Africa?”, and “How do I make a lemon pie?”.
However, it struggles to respond to simple queries that typically don’t confuse modern AI, including “Give me an easy skincare routine for night” and “Tell me about the weather in my area.” For the first, Meta AI told me it doesn’t answer skincare questions, and for the second, it lacks access to real-time data.
Currently, Meta AI is a developed version of Siri, but it may evolve in the future to become a sophisticated tool soon. For instance, Meta promises that Meta AI will be capable, in a future update, of providing details about the visual information it “sees” (like translating a foreign sign or historical information about a foreign structure). Only time will tell if Meta AI will ultimately meet our expectations.
Don’t lose the charging case – or you’ll be in trouble
The charging case is definitely an upgrade from the previous version (Ray-Ban Stories) which was bulky. It can also extend the battery life of your glasses when placed inside.
However, please, for all that is sacred, do not lose it. I lost mine, and as it turns out, Meta and Ray-Ban do not sell the charging case separately on their official sites. I even tried to leverage my warranty, which apparently allows users to purchase one for $70, but unfortunately, the case was unavailable. I reached out to Meta’s customer service for help, but I didn’t receive a response.
Unfortunately,
My Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have become almost useless because I don’t have the charging case to charge them.
Final Thoughts
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses need to be part of your life if you find the following points appealing: hands-free video recording and live streaming, free calls assisted by Meta artificial intelligence, clear calls as well as music and podcasts, acceptable photo and video quality, especially in well-lit environments, quick and responsive control to play, pause, and skip songs, and an attractive, lightweight design.
However, if you are expecting advanced artificial intelligence – like ChatGPT or Gemini – the Ray-Ban smart glasses aren’t there yet.
As I mentioned, Meta has promised that a more advanced version of Meta AI will be available next year. When that happens, I will make sure to update you, dear reader, on whether it has evolved into a more useful chatbot.
Leave a Reply