Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
As a tech reporter, I attend events and conferences with other gadget aficionados. A telltale sign that a product is good is when reporters and attendees rave about it and even use their money to buy it. And no matter where I went, I couldn’t escape the glowing Meta Ray-Ban reviews.
These experiences weren’t just ones that I noticed; sales told the same story. EssilorLuxottica, the glasses producer, reported in February that two million pairs of the Meta Ray-Bans have been sold since their October 2023 launch. After hearing so many rave reviews of the Meta Ray-Bans, I got a pair of my own.
Also: I tested Meta’s transparent Ray-Ban smart glasses, and they’re a near-perfect accessory for me
As an eyeglass wearer and an openly photo-obsessed Gen-Zer, these smartglasses seemed like a perfect fit. After wearing them for five months, including at events such as CES, I have some favorite features. Surprisingly, my top picks are not what I initially thought they would be.
1. The audio
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
When considering whether I wanted the glasses, all the apparent benefits involved the dual cameras. I never expected my favorite feature to be the audio. The smartglasses are equipped with five microphones and two custom-built open-ear speakers that are surprisingly performant.
I often forget that I am wearing smart glasses until I start scrolling on social media and hear audio. The audio is honestly as good as using any earbuds with ambient mode or open-ear headphones, such as the Shockz OpenFit. There is sound leakage, but as someone who frequently uses open-ear headphones, I don’t have any shame.
Another major advantage is how good the microphones are. My biggest form of communication is audio message exchanges, and I was nervous that the glasses would make it inconvenient or difficult to send them. Instead, the glasses pick up my voice naturally, with no issues. In fact, they’re better than some earbuds that I have tested and worn.
2. AI-enabled translation
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
As an artificial intelligence (AI) reporter, I have tested several AI translation devices, and my email inbox is flooded with pitches from companies promoting them. These products are typically costly and only fulfill one task. For that reason, I was pretty excited to see that the Meta Ray-Bans include an AI-powered live translation feature for free.
Also: Your Meta Ray-Bans just got a major feature upgrade for free – and it feels surreal
Although AI translation is not something you would reach for every day, in situations where you need help, it’s nice to know that you have an assistant close at hand. Plus, as someone who grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and is fluent, I tried the tech with my mom in real time, and was impressed at how accurately it translated, how quick it was to get started, and how easy it was to set up.
3. Easy access to Meta AI (bonus, it’s multimodal)
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Now, I know most days you may not use an AI voice assistant on your phone, but what makes the tech great on these smartglasses is accessibility.
The best part about Meta Ray-Bans is that you often forget you are wearing them. So, you can go about your day, washing dishes, folding clothes, sweeping the floor, and commuting without your phone while still having access to important features, such as push notifications, music, and assistance.
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For example, if you are grilling outside and your phone is in the house, you can quickly ask, “How long should I cook a burger on the grill before flipping?” The AI-enabled assistant is multimodal, using the feed from the cameras at the top of the lenses as context.
In that scenario, you could say something like, “How long before I flip this?”, and the assistant would use the visual context to provide an answer. Because of the position of the cameras, the glasses can see what you see, which can be even more helpful. Whenever I call on this feature, it never gets old.
4. Filming
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
This may seem like an obvious perk, but if you create lots of visual content, the Meta Ray-Bans are a cool thing to add to your arsenal. Because of the positioning of the cameras in the glasses, the footage you get is unique, as it is literally from your point of view.
For example, if you are on an amusement park ride, walking through a venue, or cooking a meal, people see exactly what you are experiencing. This point-of-view experience is similar to a GoPro device, and, despite the inferior quality, if you are like me and not an adrenaline junky, this option may be more practical.
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Another benefit is the button’s positioning. It is prominently and conveniently displayed at the top of the right eye, so there is no messing around when you see something you want to shoot. This capability makes it even quicker than taking your phone out and clicking the record button.
5. Form factor
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Last but not least, I wouldn’t be able to talk about the Meta Ray-Bans without talking about the form factor. In the photo above, I have them side-by-side next to the pair I wear every day, and you can see that they look extremely similar, despite packing many components such as cameras, microphones, speakers, and a battery. Most people can’t even tell that the Ray-Bans are smart glasses, unless you are a fellow techie.
One pain point
The battery dies a bit too fast for my liking. In my experience, I typically can make them last around six hours. However, that often means the power on the glasses lasts halfway through my day, which isn’t ideal.
There is also no way to charge the glasses while they are on your face, which seems like a design flaw. My workaround is to wear the Meta Ray-Bans when I know I need to use the features, rather than every day.
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