I Took A Walk With Meta's New Oakley Smart Glasses - They Beat My Ray-bans In Every Way

14 hours ago

The Meta Ray-Bans person been a occurrence since their launch, pinch consumers (like me) drawn to their regular shape facet packed pinch mics, cameras, speakers, and AI. Now, Meta is catering to a much diversion assemblage pinch its caller Meta Oakley smart glasses -- and pinch them, it has upped nan ante crossed astir each spec.

As a glasses wearer, photograph fanatic, and AI reporter, it was an absolute no-brainer for maine to acquisition nan Meta Ray-Bans. After months of trying them, I was mostly impressed. My biggest qualm was nan artillery life, which only lasted 4 hours.

So, erstwhile Meta announced nan Oakley type would person 8 hours of artillery life, I was instantly intrigued. I spent 1 time pinch nan Meta Oakley HSTN Limited Edition, and they exceeded my expectations.

First and foremost: much power

There are galore applicable reasons an jock would want to deterioration smart glasses, including hands-free entree to music, messages, AI assistance, a camera, and video. However, this intends that nan glasses person to beryllium comfortable, durable, and person a artillery that lasts nan long of your activity.

Also: Your Meta Ray-Bans conscionable sewage a awesome characteristic upgrade for free - and it feels surreal

Meta executed connected each of these fronts pinch Meta Oakley HTSN Limited Edition glasses, packing an eight-hour artillery life from a azygous complaint (up from 4 connected nan Meta Ray-Bans) and up to 48 hours pinch nan afloat charged carrying case, according to Meta.

To accommodate outdoor activities successful each terrains, nan glasses person an IPX4 h2o guidance rating, a step-up successful durability from nan Ray-Bans. The video value is besides higher, capturing 3K video, up from 1080p connected nan Meta Ray-Bans.

But these glasses besides support each of nan features that made nan Meta Ray-Bans truthful great, specified arsenic a 12 MP ultrawide camera, camera sensors embedded on nan broadside of nan eyewear (great for signaling POV shots during your activity), 2 open-ear Bluetooth speakers, and a civilization five-mic array.

During my walk, I listened to Justin Bieber's caller medium and was highly satisfied pinch nan audio, truthful overmuch truthful that I was contented pinch my determination to forgo my usual open-ear headphones, the Shockz OpenFit.

I was besides capable to nonstop audio messages, which is my preferred mode of communication, pinch nary issue. I moreover sewage nan feedback, "your audio sounds great, actually," erstwhile I apologized successful beforehand for immoderate splotchiness that whitethorn ensue from talking into my glasses.

I besides tested nan photograph and video capabilities by snapping shots during my walk. I person ever been amazed astatine really good it takes photos, moreover erstwhile you are successful motion, pinch nan last consequence being stable, good-quality shots. The astir awesome part, however, was nan improved video quality, which was evident arsenic soon arsenic I viewed nan video aft getting home. You tin distinctly perceive nan sound of my feet hitting nan pavement arsenic I did my ray jog, and nan value and POV make it consciousness for illustration you were taken on nan way of my jog.

This functionality is peculiarly important because if you are successful nan marketplace for these glasses to archive your exercise, astatine nan value point, which is double that of a accepted GoPro, it is imperative that nan value of nan shots beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic possible.

Increased comfort

Despite nan much rugged creation and nan amended components nether nan hood, I recovered nan glasses to beryllium much comfortable than nan Meta Ray-Bans. According to nan specs posted connected nan Meta website, some glasses are nan aforesaid nonstop weight astatine 49 grams. However, nan Oakley brace sits truthful overmuch much comfortably connected nan span of my chemoreceptor that they practically consciousness lighter.

Also: Halliday's caller AI glasses are what Meta, Google, and Apple person been trying to build

Using nan smartglasses hands-free is conscionable arsenic easy pinch either sound aliases touchpad commands, depending connected which you prefer. Before my outing, I synced nan glasses to Apple Music and my messages, truthful I didn't person to look astatine my telephone astatine all. Rather, I sewage a sound notification each clip I received a text, and did elemental motions connected nan touchpad, specified arsenic swiping guardant to power measurement aliases tapping to region a song.

Using Meta AI was conscionable arsenic simple, pinch a elemental bid of "Hey Meta" unlocking a multimodal AI adjunct that tin spot what you see, supply audio assistance, and moreover execute different much precocious tasks specified arsenic AI connection translation.

The Oakley pair's lawsuit is simply a spot bulkier and little sleek than that of nan Ray-Bans. That said, it was apt a purposeful design, arsenic you astir apt want thing much heavy-duty erstwhile connected a run, motorcycle ride, hike, etc. The Meta Oakley charging lawsuit holds 48 hours of complaint versus nan 32 hours connected nan Ray-Bans.

Also: Apple's Meta Ray-Bans slayer is only 1 of 4 awesome launches successful 2027 - here's nan list

There is besides nan added convenience of having high-quality sunglasses catered to athletes. The smart glasses person Prizm 24K Polarized lenses, which not only protect against nan beaming sun rays outdoors but besides let you to spot elements you whitethorn person different missed.

The bottommost line

The audiences for nan Meta Ray-Bans and nan Meta Oakleys are a spot different. If you are an outdoor enthusiast who is looking to archive immoderate of your adventures and person easy entree to your phone, music, and an AI assistant, nan added specs and creation make nan $499 finance successful nan Meta Oakley HTSN Limited Edition glasses worthy it.

If you are conscionable looking for smart glasses you tin usage occasionally, without a peculiar request for extended artillery life aliases shooting high-quality video, you whitethorn want to either instrumentality to nan Meta Ray-Bans, which commencement astatine $240, aliases hold until much models are made disposable later this summertime astatine nan little value constituent of $399.