Ray-Ban Meta smart sunglasses review

Meta announced the second generation of its Ray-Ban sunglasses in October. I tested them two weeks ago and I really like them, even after justifying the price you pay compared to regular Ray-Bans.

The $299 Headliner model I feel is similar to regular Ray-Bans but more sophisticated. Similar to the previous model, they allow you to record videos, take pictures, make calls on your phone and listen to music. The speakers are also 50% louder, according to Meta. It also has a better camera that takes photos in portrait mode rather than landscape, which is better suited for broadcast media.

Meta’s Reality Labs unit, which includes its wearable products such as smart glasses and the Meta Quest, contributes less than 1% to the company’s revenue. Even so, his installations represent Meta’s effort to move forward in the availability of additional devices in many media and social media.

Here’s what you need to know about Ray-Ban Meta smart sunglasses.

The Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses are sold to show that they can be worn every day just like a regular pair of sunglasses. To do that, they have to be as comfortable, stylish and functional as your regular pair. Meta and Ray-Ban brought that aspect to life.

It’s comfortable to wear and doesn’t fray. They are only a few grams heavier than regular Ray-Ban sunglasses. And, while I was looking for glasses in the office, I was asked several times why I wore sunglasses inside, so that you get a measure of the same look as the regular Ray-Bans. They don’t look different.

I wore my smart glasses without using any technology, and they work just as well as a regular pair of Ray-Ban polarized sunglasses. For people who want to replace their prescription lenses, you can get prescription lenses just like you would with a pair you already use.

It’s convenient if you want to take pictures in the moment without reaching for your phone. You just press the button on the right side of your glasses or say, “Hey Meta, take a picture.” I love using it to take pictures walking around New York City. Just check the side of one tree. The one on the left is taken with my iPhone and the one on the right is taken with my glasses.

It’s easy to import photos or videos into the Meta View app on a phone, and then you can save them to your camera roll.

It’s obvious to others when you take a photo or video. The circle on the right side of the glasses blinks when you take a photo and shakes when you shoot, so it’s difficult to take a photo or video without no one knows.

That’s an important part for Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses to fit into mainstream society. People around you will know when you are recording. You can’t even block the light and take a picture. The glasses refuse to take the picture when you try.

The voices and ability to call are my favorite part, though.

You can use glasses instead of your ear. I walked around New York’s Central Park with them while listening to music and the sounds were more effective than the ears in a situation like this. The sound was still full, but I was more aware of my surroundings, which helped when a loose dog ran towards me. and when a cyclist runs a red light.

Listening to music is like having a record on playback, as opposed to the immersive feeling that many new albums provide. I admit, I don’t have AirPods with the noise control so it’s worth comparing that feature if you have AirPods Pro or AirPods Max.

The sound quality is definitely better with these than what I got with my 3rd Generation AirPods, I’ll probably still go with headphones on the train if you don’t want to scare your friends passengers But the glasses were quiet enough to not disturb my friend while I was listening to music at home.

I liked that I could tap once on the right side of the glasses to pause and resume my music and could slide my finger to adjust the volume.

Glasses also work for phones. I made calls with them, in my room and in noisy places, and the receivers had no complaints about the sound quality. The conversation on my end was clear and I was happy that I could accept calls by double tapping to the right.

It’s easy to pay. The glasses come in a cardboard box that protects the glasses when stored. You use a USB-C – it doesn’t come with the glasses – to recharge the box, but you get about eight charges before you need to do that, this is a big step up from the three additional costs in the previous model.

My biggest knock on these glasses is that it’s hard to take pictures if you wear a ball cap. This isn’t an issue for someone who doesn’t wear helmets, but it was annoying to push my bill up a bit every time I wanted to take a picture without the camera. I have my hat on.

While glasses allow you to use voice to send messages or ask questions like “What’s the weather?” it was more like a novelty to me and I can’t see myself using it regularly. I’m also a big sports fan, and this voice assistant can’t tell you the score of the game from last night like other assistants.

If you use Siri or Google Assistant on a watch or phone you will often find some voice commands useful. I don’t usually use it.

Battery life is not good if you want to use these as your glasses all day, every day. They have about four hours of battery life for mixed use, a combination of all the features offered by the glasses, but it can vary depending on how much or not you use it. My review unit charged from 7% to full in 50 minutes, which is fast.

But if you need to wear them all day with contact lenses, then you may have some problems, at least in terms of functionality, since you have no choice but to take them off and leave them. glass is spent in the middle. it’s your day.

Finally, the glasses are waterproof, but not wet, so you have to take care of the rain in a way that you don’t have to with regular glasses.

I buy it. I really like the music, style and graphics of these glasses, and because they still have the comfort and style of classic Ray-Bans.

Regular Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses cost $171. Of the Meta version those costs $299. Is the ability to take photos and videos of your surroundings and use them in place of headphones and a headset worth the extra money to you? It’s for me.

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