Oakley Meta Vanguard Are The Smart Glasses Athletes Might Actually Want

When Meta announced its first brace of Oakley-branded sunglasses, the HSTN frames, earlier this year, it called them "performance AI" glasses moreover though they only came pinch humble upgrades compared pinch Meta's Ray-Ban lineup. But nan caller Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses, which were just unveiled astatine Connect, are overmuch much intelligibly aimed astatine superior athletes and they person nan features to backmost it up.

The $499 sunglasses characteristic Oakley's acquainted wraparound frames and shiny (swappable) lenses. They are nan first of Meta's smart glasses to alteration nan placement of nan camera, which is now successful nan halfway of nan frames supra nan nose. According to Meta, this should make it harder for a chapeau aliases a helmet to ruin your shots, which was a accordant rumor for maine pinch nan HSTN glasses.

Meta is making different camera adjustments that should make nan glasses much reliable for capturing first-person action cam-style footage. The 12 megapixel camera now has a wider, 122-degree perspective lens and adjustable video stabilization. There are besides now dedicated modes for capturing slow mobility videos arsenic good arsenic Instagram-ready hyperlapse slips.

There are different spec upgrades too. Battery life has been improved to six hours of continuous euphony playback and 9 hours of "mixed use". The charging lawsuit tin supply different 36 hours of artillery life. Meta besides told maine nan glasses person been optimized for a wider scope of temperatures, truthful nan artillery should clasp up amended successful very acold aliases very basking environments.

The onboard speakers are much powerful. When I cranked up nan measurement during my demo, I had to region nan euphony successful bid to perceive nan personification adjacent to maine speaking. The glasses are besides overmuch much h2o resistant than their predecessors, pinch an IP67 standing that intends they tin beryllium afloat submerged.

Meta has besides changed up nan fastener placement connected nan glasses, putting nan seizure fastener connected nan bottommost correct broadside of nan glasses alternatively of nan top. There's besides a caller "action button" that's peculiarly intriguing. This is simply a customizable fastener that users tin programme to trigger circumstantial actions. For example, it could commencement playing a circumstantial Spotify playlist aliases it could trigger a hyperlapse video. It tin besides beryllium mapped to actions that return advantage of Meta AI, for illustration providing a surf study aliases identifying what you're looking at. I'm not judge what I would usage this fastener for, but I'm looking guardant to trying it retired erstwhile I get my hands connected a brace for much than a fewer minutes.

The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses will travel pinch integrations for Strava and Garmin. In my demo, I walked connected a treadmill while wearing a Garmin watch and nan Vanguard glasses. This meant I could inquire Meta AI for info astir my bosom complaint and my pace. If you're a Strava user, you tin overlay photos and videos from your tally onto nan stats you get astatine nan extremity of your run.

Like nan HSTN glasses, I person a emotion nan Vanguard frames could beryllium a bit… polarizing. Most group do not want to deterioration large wraparound sunglasses for regular activities. I decidedly don't! But Meta has added capable caller features that nan $499 sunglasses mightiness really make consciousness for athletes. I've been wearing Oakley skis goggles for years and I fishy a brace of Vanguard glasses could easy switch them successful astir conditions.

The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses are disposable now for pre-order. They officially spell connected waste October 21.