Why would anyone need smart sunglasses? They're actually kinda awesome!

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Before you own a pair of smart sunglasses you'll think "who would ever need these?" But once you get used to having them, especially while travelling, they may quickly become one of your favourite tech gadgets.

I've been using the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses for about a month. For context, I'd previously used the first generation of smart glasses from Ray-Ban and Meta, so I'm coming at this extra aware of some of the new features and how they enhance the user experience.

No one NEEDS smartglasses, but if you have 'em, they're pretty sweet!

If you're in the midst of doing your online research to decide if these glasses will be worth it for you, this is the place you want to be. There's a lot to say about these glasses (mostly great things) but I'll try and be brief so you can get on with the fun part - choosing which style and lens tint to go with.

Pros

Meta AI
Many Styles
Can add prescription lenses

Cons

Meta AI
High initial cost
Battery can drain quickly

What do the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses Do?

These smart glasses' most distinct feature are the built-in, 12 MP cameras on either side of the sunglasses frames.

These cameras do a wonderful job of capturing photos and video on the go. While you have a phone that can do those things, I'll explain shortly why using your glasses instead is a big deal.

I don't think my life is interesting enough to livestream my point of view in real time, but if you did want to, you could use these glasses to livestream your surroundings. What's likely more valuable, is being able to activate the glasses to share your POV during a WhatsApp Video call. I could see this feature being very handy in a scenario where you have car problems and are phoning a more knowledgeable friend for advice.

Beyond the cameras, there are small built-in speakers, which provide what I think is decent audio quality considering the size and position of the speakers. You will be able to hear phone calls and listen to music very clearly, but those around you would have a difficult time discerning what's coming out of those tiny speakers.

Ray Ban Meta Ai Glasses Sample Video Shot — Sample photo taken on-the-go with glasses.

You can control functions like snapping pics, changing music tracks, or adjusting the volume by tapping on either the dedicated button or the touch sensitive panel built into the glasses frame.

These above-mentioned features (with the exception of video call support) have been available on previous iterations of Ray-Ban's smart glasses. Where things get very interesting in the models that came out in spring of 2024 is the integration with Meta AI.

AI Features on Ray-Ban Meta Sunglasses

Meta AI is the "Facebook's" AI-powered assistant (Facebook is in quotes because it's actually Meta's (the parent company of Facebook) technology, but suddenly the phrase Meta is popping up a lot in this article.

Much like Siri or Google, you can say "Hey Meta" and your AI virtual assistant is ready to help with a variety of tasks from checking your schedule to playing your favourite song.

Ray Ban Meta Ai Glasses Close Up Camera — Using the cameras and AI, these smartglasses can give you information about the things you're looking at.

Meta AI with Vision ties those smart features of the virtual assistant to the cameras of the glasses, allowing you to do some pretty cool things based on what you're looking at.

For example, when travelling, if you see an unfamiliar landmark, you can simply say "Hey Meta, what is this?" And within about two seconds, your sunglasses are speaking to you, telling you the answer.

I tried this in other scenarios too with varying levels of success. When opening my fridge, I asked the glasses to suggest a lunch recipe based on the ingredients. It came up with three or four options (though the suggestions were pretty basic, it's still impressive).

Sample Video Frame Ray Ban Meta Ai Glasses — Still frame from a video of the Sphere in Vegas taken on Ray-Ban Meta AI Sunglasses.

Real-time guidance for complex tasks isn't supported (at least not yet). I took a Rubix cube and asked it to help me solve it. I was hoping for "Twist the top level three times, twist the bottom level once," but instead it just offered me general strategies of solving a Rubix cube.

The addition of AI to the Ray-Ban sunglasses is the most significant change compared to previous iterations of these glasses. While it's not essential to your experience of enjoying them, for those few times you might tag it in to add context or ask a question, it does a reasonably good job.

Ray Ban Meta Ai Glasses Plug In — The glasses charge via USB C cable while in the case.

App Experience

To set up your glasses, review your photos and videos, and adjust settings you'll be using the Meta View App. This is where you'll be able to connect to services, like the music streaming service you subscribe to, and organize the photos and videos you take.

Pro Tip: Within the app, one of the first things you should do is change the setting so that when the glasses are plugged in and charging, your photos and videos will automatically backup over Wi-Fi.

The app is simple and does the job. Probably the most handy thing about it is going back to "take the tour" to remember the different functions your glasses can do.

You can also look through your Meta AI history and see the images captured whenever you asked your AI assistant to explain what you're looking at.

Overall thoughts

All in all, I think these are very impressive and functional smart glasses. Obviously you can get by just fine without a set of smart sunglasses, but if you're about to buy a luxury tech product, you want to know it's good quality and easy to use. I am happy to share that these glasses are very enjoyable to use!

Best feature of Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses

These glasses can help you stay present in the moment. When you're on vacation, instead of pulling your phone out of your pocket to snap a picture or take a video, you can just tap on your glasses (or use a voice command). This is probably my favourite thing about these glasses. It sounds small, but you really do feel like you're not missing anything when you take these with you on vacation

Battery Life

Battery life is okay. When you're taking a long video, you'll notice a dip in battery percentage life. These are small glasses with a small battery, so it makes sense. You can disable "Hey Meta" which improves battery life a lot, but then you have to manually activate your AI assistant. Which for me was a worthwhile compromise if I was doing a full day of sightseeing.

Style

With the Spring 2024 launch, new styles, and lens tint colours became available in the Ray-Ban smart glasses lineup. I love the fact that these look like traditional Ray-Ban sunglasses. Most people don't realize they're smart glasses until you tell them and point out the cameras.

They are available in Headliner, Skyler, and Wayfarer frames.

Privacy

I also like that there is an indicator light showing people that you're taking a photo or video. Everyone has different thoughts about the amount of information they share with any company (and rightfully so). In order to tap into the smart features of the glasses, you'll be using Meta's AI assistant, so do a little homework before you accept the terms and conditions to make sure you're comfortable with the data collection and use. Each virtual assistant is different, so always worth giving that info a skim.

Case

The case is not just for storage, it's also for charging up your glasses. They rest securely into an in-built base. You plug the case in with a USB C cable and top up the battery between uses. The battery is supposed to last 4 hours. In my testing it was less than that, but consistently more than two hours.

Prescription Lenses

Whether you're using these as sunglasses or your everyday glasses frames, it's also nice that you are able to get prescription lenses for these models. Pricing will vary based on your prescription.

Smart Sunglasses

Ray-Ban Meta AI

Geeking Out Shop

When it comes to style and features, Ray-Ban's latest generation of smart sunglasses can't be beat. They allow you to take hands free phone calls and even share your perspective on WhatsApp video calls. Meta AI is on board as your virtual assistant. These smartglasses are feature rich and easy to use.

See at Amazon

The bottom line is, if you're considering smart glasses, there are few options, but Ray-Ban has consistently done an excellent job with their designs.

For exceptional style, ease of use, and continually improving features generation over generation, if you're able to justify the increased price of traditional sunglasses, these will be a welcome part of your everyday carry.

Top Black Friday Tech Deals For Canadians 2024

All The Deals