I wore Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses all year – they are my favorite accessory

I test a lot of tools in my job as a tech writer, though I rarely wait a year before writing about them. But that’s exactly what I did with the Ray-Ban Meta, the latest smart glasses collaboration between, well, Ray-Ban and the Meta.

When I first heard about a collaboration between a popular sunglasses brand and a lesser-known social media giant, I was skeptical. Although I didn’t try the Ray-Ban Stories, their first attempt at sunglasses with an integrated camera and speakers, it sounded like a fun idea.

So after I started designing the second version of the Ray-Ban Meta back in December 2023, it took me a while to warm up to the design and functionality of sunglasses that try to hide the camera and headphones from your face. , but after 12 months I am convinced that it is one of the most exciting new technological innovations of the last few years and is definitely the smartest glasses around.

The first attempt at smart viewing on Google Glass is now a distant memory, but the latest £3,499 Apple Vision Pro VR headset will surely catch your eye from the office or train carriage. Not so with the Ray-Ban Meta. No matter which style you choose, they all pass for regular glasses unless you look closely, there are Wayfarer, Headliner and Skyler styles.

Boring millennial, I prefer the black Wayfarer, but there are colored options with transparent and replacement lenses if you prefer. You can also get prescription lenses.

The plastic glass sleeves are thicker than usual to house batteries, circuit boards and speakers, while there is a 12MP camera mounted on the edge of one lens and a white light on the other side to show when photos or videos are taken. . The inner left hand side contains the power tool and, of course, you need a Meta account to set them up and use them.

This can connect to your Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp accounts (all of which are Meta) and away you go. The main function of the glasses is to take photos and video, which you do by pressing the button on the upper right hand side of the glasses. Speakers play the sound of the camera shutter in your ear as you do so, embedded in subtle grills below each arm.

The photos are from many angles, and often not straight, so I worry that I have a sad face. Luckily when you upload your latest photos to the Meta View app, the AI ​​works its magic to straighten things out, a feature that came in a software update. My first photos are amazing. Pictures taken during the day usually look good, but night pictures are useless due to the size of the lens here.

The video quality is very good. It’s very stable, and it means you can get your view right when you’re walking, running, skiing, eating, dancing, you name it – even if you’re limited to no more than three minutes.

Connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth, the glasses can stream audio just like earbuds, so I found myself walking outside listening to music and podcasts in the park and on the bus. I’m not Bob Dylan, so I can’t wear glasses around the house, but I guess that’s what the clear lens option is for, as I could see myself spending all day taking voice calls and high fives installed. the microphone. However, I wear glasses, so having my headset replace my AirPods feels like killing two birds with one stone, even if the volume is a bit low. A simple touch on the right hand side allows you to play, pause, skip a track or swipe to change the volume.

Mics also allow you to interact, optionally, with Meta AI. Considering how dark Siri is on the iPhone, I’m impressed with Meta’s shot at the digital voice she can speak. You can ask simple search queries by saying “Hey Meta”, along with timers and reminders. In America you can even say, “Hey Meta, look at this and tell me about it”, and the glasses use their camera to look and describe a place or identify certain things like products or plants . It’s coming to the UK for a while, but I’ve been able to test it and it works fine. I often asked for glasses to stop the sound, change the sound, or take a photo when my hands were full.

You have to be comfortable using Meta services to get the best glasses. They are not available unless you are logged in.

Battery life isn’t all day, which is a shame. A fully charged pair takes about four hours depending on what you’re doing, and you have to remove the glasses and charge them in a nice leatherette case. This is complemented by USB-C.

My original review model of the Ray-Ban Meta had orange lenses, which weren’t my vibe, so I ended up swapping them out for the newly released black frame. with polarized graphite lenses. Some might pull off a transparent blue pair or a caramel shimmer, but not me. I also needed a size larger than normal due to my bulbous noggin. Be sure to measure before you buy, because, don’t forget, these are also high-quality Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Friends tell me that a black pair looks normal, until you notice the camera. Then accusations fly about how scary it is. Even if there’s a flash of light when you’re taking a photo or you’re still there when you’re making a video, many people are uncomfortable with the idea of ​​someone secretly filming them. On the other hand, we’re all used to people walking around taking pictures with their phones, but apparently that’s what’s happening. I think the Ray-Ban Meta will survive the criticism that they are fake, especially when companies can’t seem to make them fast enough to keep up with demand, but it was fun to gauge the opinions of people to them. I can’t print what my sister said, but she wasn’t the founder.

I’m a big fan though. From £299 for a growing range of fun designs, the Ray-Ban Meta is great value. They offer many great functions in a subtle way that can pass for ordinary sunglasses, a trick that other smart glasses miss by being bulky or lacking in style. Ray-Bans don’t look like a gadget and they don’t try to do too much. The fact that they are great at what they do is what makes them compelling.

I can see myself wearing them for another year.