A few weeks ago, Meta announced Ray-Ban Meta: sunglasses with integrated cameras, speakers, and microphones for all your sneaky (er, convenient) video-capturing needs. Now, the company is sending review units to media outlets, and we’re getting a real, unbiased look at how the glasses function outside of Meta’s lab.
Ray-Ban Meta consists of a Ray-Ban frame, customizable lenses, and a whole lot of Meta’s own technology. At each temple sits a tiny down-firing speaker and a microphone array. A touchpad on the outer left temple allows you to silently control volume, snap a photo, or start a video (though both can also be done by saying “Hey Meta” and issuing a verbal command).
Although the right temple contains an ultra-wide 12-megapixel camera, the left includes a symmetrical, circular LED that lights up to tell others you’re recording. This light isn’t avoidable—when it’s covered, Ray-Ban Meta stops recording. Though this might not be enough to comfort those who see Ray-Ban Meta as another sensationalized privacy violation, it’s at least something.
Any photos or videos you capture with Ray-Ban Meta get saved to the glasses’ 32 gigabytes of internal storage. You can use your smartphone to import that content via the Meta View app, which has to be paired with the glasses before use. From there, it’s yours to do whatever you want with. According to Brian Heater of TechCrunch, still shots are surprisingly clear, making them “suitable for social media.” And while you’d think a head-mounted camera would be a stability nightmare for video purposes, Heater says clips are pretty stable. The video function’s 1080p resolution reportedly leaves something to be desired, but in general, it’s good enough for users who stream on social media.
Alan Truly of Digital Trends also snagged a pair of Meta’s smart glasses. According to him, the audio from Ray-Ban Meta’s inconspicuous speakers is “quite good” and doesn’t bleed into the surrounding environment unless it’s at maximum volume. Meta’s five-microphone arrays are even better, capturing “exceptional” spatial audio even when Truly was on a phone call.
Engadget’s Karissa Bell also commented on Ray-Ban Meta’s unexpectedly pleasant audio experience. Comparing the new glasses with Meta’s (or, back then, Facebook’s) 2021 Ray-Ban Stories, Bell noted that Ray-Ban Meta turns on automatically instead of requiring you to press a power button. The glasses are “a bit bulkier than a typical pair of shades, but they don’t feel heavy, even with extended use.” And while their wireless charging case is a bit clunky, Bell says the case’s capacity is sufficient to support a week of “moderate” use.
Ray-Ban Meta starts at $299, but the price increases depending on which frame or lenses you select. The Wayfarer frames feature that square-ish shape Ray-Ban is known for, while the Headliner frames feature more of a rounded shape. Meta says more than 150 aesthetic combinations are available, thanks to the frames’ seven colorways and Ray-Ban’s numerous tint, prescription, coating, and polarization options.
