Smart glasses are not new and have actually been around for quite some time. But over the years, companies have been working to improve them, or at least make them mainstream. Meta is one of the companies trying to make this happen, and I ray ban meta glasses Try it out and see if having smart glasses makes sense.
Meta’s first smart glasses were announced in 2021, when the company was still called Facebook. In partnership with Ray-Ban, the companies introduced Ray-Ban Story. These glasses are similar to regular Ray-Ban glasses, but they have a camera that can take photos and videos with audio. It also has a built-in speaker, so you can use it like headphones.
Ray-Ban Stories received a lot of attention when it was announced, but it was never a hit. The battery life wasn’t very good, and the 5-megapixel camera was a little disappointing.
Two years later, Ray-Ban Story received a major upgrade and is now called Ray-Ban Meta. They look a lot like regular Ray-Ban sunglasses, but this time the hardware is much better. I’ve been using the Ray-Ban Meta for the past few weeks and here are my thoughts on it.
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Setting up
The glasses come in similar packaging to other Ray-Ban glasses. When opened, the glasses are revealed in a very elegant leather case. This case works like an AirPods case and charges the glasses battery when you put them inside.
There’s no magic pairing, as users must download the Meta View app to set up the Ray-Ban Meta, but the entire process is very simple. The interesting thing is that the glasses work with his Meta account, so you don’t necessarily need a Facebook or Instagram account to use the glasses.
After you set up Ray-Ban Meta for the first time, it automatically pairs with your phone when you take it out of the case, so you don’t have to go to Bluetooth settings or open the Meta app every time. Of course, you’ll need an app to change settings, install firmware updates, and transfer data from your glasses to your phone.
To me, the coolest thing about the Ray-Ban Meta is that it looks like regular sunglasses. There are also more ambitious products out there, like the Meta Quest headset and the Apple Vision Pro, but I still can’t imagine myself using these headsets outdoors.
These products have completely different purposes, and the whole idea of Ray-Ban Meta is to be glasses that you can wear all day, anywhere.
They don’t look like futuristic technology and don’t attract most people’s attention. In fact, most of my friends didn’t know I was wearing smart glasses. That can be good or bad, but we’ll talk about that later. The glasses are also so light that you really forget you’re wearing something with a built-in camera, microphone, and speakers.
![Ray-Ban's Meta glasses make us believe in smart glasses](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Ray-Ban-Meta-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all)
they should be fun
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are clearly not focused on productivity or anything like that. They are supposed to be fun. I was on vacation in Europe when I bought these. I usually take photos and videos with my iPhone, and as it turns out, it has a great camera. But some moments happen so quickly that you don’t even have time to take your phone out of your pocket.
That’s where Ray-Ban Meta comes into play. Because it’s already on your face and ready to use. Simply click the button on the right stem to take a photo of what you’re looking at. Press the button for a few seconds and the video will be captured.
And the best part is that the camera quality has improved significantly. It’s still not as good as a smartphone camera, but it’s good enough to post on Instagram stories. The ultra-wide 12-megapixel lens takes photos well even in high-contrast light, and 1080p video looks great, too.
However, there are also some drawbacks. Capturing images and videos in low light environments remains a challenge, but this is not surprising. I also noticed that the image would easily shake if I just pressed the button while moving. Also, when it comes to video, only the vertical direction is captured, not the horizontal direction.
![Ray-Ban's Meta glasses make us believe in smart glasses](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Ray-Ban-Meta-photo-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=768)
![Ray-Ban's Meta glasses make us believe in smart glasses](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Ray-Ban-Meta-photo-2.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=768)
![Ray-Ban's Meta glasses make us believe in smart glasses](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Ray-Ban-Meta-photo-3.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=768)
sound experience
In addition to serving as a camera, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses also have a few other tricks up their sleeves. Built-in speakers and microphones also allow users to listen to songs and make calls while wearing the glasses. The quality is far from ideal, but it works interestingly well in some situations.
Mehta says this new generation of speakers is much better. I was surprised at how clean the sound was. Plus, it’s stereo sound, with the speakers positioned so that the sound is coming through regular headphones. Unfortunately, bass is almost non-existent here, making for a disappointing experience for serious media consumers.
Still, I like listening to songs, podcasts, and audio messages on Ray-Ban Meta when I’m in an Uber or at the grocery store. I know this is personal, but earbuds like AirPods make me feel isolated from the world. Also, when I see someone wearing headphones, I assume they don’t want to talk.
Something that plays audio directly to your ears but doesn’t isolate you from the world can be very interesting at certain moments. By the way, the mic is pretty good.
Other trivia
Users can control the Ray-Ban Meta glasses with touch gestures, such as sliding a finger to turn up or down the volume or tapping to play or pause. The glasses also have some basic voice commands for taking photos and capturing videos. Soon, Meta will launch an AI-based assistant that integrates with the camera. This is very promising.
By default, you have to open the Meta app every time you want to transfer media from your glasses to your phone. However, this process takes less than a few seconds and the photos are automatically imported into the user’s photo library.
As for the battery, Meta says it will last up to 4 hours outside of the case. The company claims that users will get up to 36 hours of battery life when they put the glasses in the case. Personally, I never wear my glasses for more than 4 hours, so that’s enough for me.
![Ray-Ban's Meta glasses make us believe in smart glasses](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/12/Ray-Ban-Meta-case.jpg?quality=82&strip=all)
summary
Once again, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses aren’t about productivity. Instead, we want to allow users to quickly capture cool moments and share them on social networks. And they do it very well. Sometimes it’s much more comfortable to just look at something and press a button to take a photo than to take your iPhone out of your pocket.
Of course, there are some concerns. We’re talking about products from Meta, which is known for not taking privacy too seriously. Also, because these glasses look like regular glasses, people can use them to take pictures of things they shouldn’t. There is an LED to indicate when the camera is on, but most people don’t notice it.
I don’t think the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are revolutionary and will change my life. However, it can be very useful in some situations, so I’m looking forward to seeing other wearable technologies in the future.
In the United States, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses cost $329. They are available in a variety of models and can even be customized with prescription lenses.
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