jul / 2025
The Meta Ray-Bans have been a hit since their launch, with shoppers (like me) drawn to their common kind issue full of mics, cameras, audio system, and AI. Now, Meta is catering to a extra athletic viewers with its new Meta Oakley sensible glasses — and with them, it has upped the ante throughout almost each spec.
As a glasses wearer, picture fanatic, and AI reporter, it was an absolute no-brainer for me to buy the Meta Ray-Bans. After months of attempting them, I used to be principally impressed. My largest qualm was the battery life, which solely lasted 4 hours.
So, when Meta introduced the Oakley model would have eight hours of battery life, I used to be instantly intrigued. I spent the previous weekend with the Meta Oakley HSTN Restricted Version, they usually exceeded my expectations.
Before everything: extra energy
There are numerous sensible causes an athlete would wish to put on sensible glasses, together with hands-free entry to music, messages, AI help, a digital camera, and video. Nonetheless, which means that the glasses need to be comfy, sturdy, and have a battery that lasts the length of your exercise.
Meta executed on all of those fronts with Meta Oakley HSTN Restricted Version glasses, packing an eight-hour battery life from a single cost (up from 4 on the Meta Ray-Bans) and as much as 48 hours with the totally charged carrying case, in accordance with Meta.
To accommodate outside actions in all terrains, the glasses have an IPX4 water resistance score, a step-up in sturdiness from the Ray-Bans. The video high quality can also be increased, capturing 3K video, up from 1080p on the Meta Ray-Bans.
However these glasses additionally preserve all the options that made the Meta Ray-Bans so nice, reminiscent of a 12 MP ultrawide digital camera, digital camera sensors embedded alongside the aspect of the eyewear (nice for recording POV pictures throughout your exercise), two open-ear Bluetooth audio system, and a customized five-mic array.
Throughout my stroll, I listened to Justin Bieber’s new album and was extraordinarily happy with the audio, a lot in order that I used to be content material with my resolution to forgo my ordinary open-ear headphones, the Shockz OpenFit.
I used to be additionally in a position to ship audio messages, which is my most popular mode of communication, with no challenge. I even obtained the suggestions, “your audio sounds nice, truly,” once I apologized upfront for any splotchiness which will ensue from speaking into my glasses.
I additionally examined the picture and video capabilities by snapping pictures throughout my stroll. I’ve all the time been amazed at how nicely it takes pictures, even if you find yourself in movement, with the ultimate consequence being secure, good-quality pictures. Essentially the most spectacular half, nonetheless, was the improved video high quality, which was evident as quickly as I considered the video after getting house. You’ll be able to distinctly hear the sound of my toes hitting the pavement as I did my gentle jog, and the standard and POV make it really feel such as you had been taken alongside the trail of my jog.
This performance is especially necessary as a result of in case you are out there for these glasses to doc your train, on the value level, which is double that of a conventional GoPro, it’s crucial that the standard of the pictures be as excessive as doable.
Elevated consolation
Regardless of the extra rugged design and the higher parts below the hood, I discovered the glasses to be extra comfy than the Meta Ray-Bans. In accordance with the specs posted on the Meta web site, each glasses are the identical actual weight at 49 grams. Nonetheless, the Oakley pair sits a lot extra comfortably on the bridge of my nostril that they virtually really feel lighter.
Utilizing the smartglasses hands-free is simply as simple with both voice or touchpad instructions, relying on which you like. Earlier than my outing, I synced the glasses to Apple Music and my messages, so I did not have to have a look at my telephone in any respect. Relatively, I obtained a voice notification each time I obtained a textual content, and did easy motions on the touchpad, reminiscent of swiping ahead to manage quantity or tapping to pause a track.
Utilizing Meta AI was simply as easy, with a easy command of “Hey Meta” unlocking a multimodal AI assistant that may see what you see, present audio help, and even carry out different extra superior duties reminiscent of AI language translation.
The Oakley pair’s case is a bit bulkier and fewer modern than that of the Ray-Bans. That mentioned, it was doubtless a purposeful design, as you in all probability need one thing extra heavy-duty when on a run, bike experience, hike, and so forth. The Meta Oakley charging case holds 48 hours of cost versus the 32 hours on the Ray-Bans.
There may be additionally the added comfort of getting high-quality sun shades catered to athletes. The sensible glasses have Prizm 24K Polarized lenses, which not solely defend towards the beaming solar rays open air but additionally let you see components you might have in any other case missed.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The audiences for the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys are a bit completely different. In case you are an outside fanatic who’s seeking to doc a few of your adventures and have easy accessibility to your telephone, music, and an AI assistant, the added specs and design make the $499 funding within the Meta Oakley HSTN Restricted Version glasses price it.
In case you are simply searching for sensible glasses you should utilize sometimes, with no explicit want for prolonged battery life or capturing high-quality video, chances are you’ll wish to both keep on with the Meta Ray-Bans, which begin at $240, or wait till extra fashions are made obtainable later this summer season on the cheaper price level of $399.
The most recent sensible glasses by Meta characteristic key enhancements that fulfill the shortcomings of the favored Ray-Bans, from the upper decision video recording to the longer-lasting battery life. Whereas the design of the Oakley model will depart prospects divided, it additionally covers a niche within the sensible glasses house for customers who search a wearable for extra intense leisure actions.
Present extra
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