Hands-On: Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Nearly Sold Me
▼ Summary
– The Meta Ray-Ban Displays are advanced smart glasses featuring an in-lens color display and neural wristband for $799, enabling phone-like tasks directly through the glasses.
– Users can perform smartphone activities like texting, browsing, and video calls discreetly using subtle hand gestures with the neural band and private display.
– The glasses provide enhanced AI assistance with visual components, such as displaying recipes, identifying objects, and showing real-time conversation captions.
– Despite their technical components, the glasses are designed to be comfortable for all-day wear and aesthetically pass as regular statement eyewear.
– Priced at $799, these smart glasses target early tech adopters as a promising step toward future AI wearables rather than mainstream consumers.
The Meta Ray-Ban Displays represent a significant leap forward in wearable technology, blending sophisticated AI capabilities with a design that feels surprisingly natural for everyday use. These smart glasses integrate an in-lens color display and a neural wristband, allowing users to perform many smartphone functions directly through their field of vision. After a hands-on demo, it’s clear that Meta has pushed the boundaries of what smart glasses can achieve, creating a product that nearly convinced me to make the switch.
One of the most compelling aspects of these glasses is their ability to function as a smartphone for your face. During testing, I managed to handle tasks like playing music, responding to messages, capturing photos, browsing social media, and even joining video calls, all without reaching for my phone. The experience felt remarkably smooth, thanks to the crisp visuals projected onto the right lens and the intuitive control offered by the neural wristband.
From the outside, the lenses appear completely ordinary, but the integrated display delivers sharp, vibrant images. Watching video content or scrolling through an Instagram feed felt seamless, and it was nearly impossible for others to detect what I was viewing. The neural band, worn comfortably around the wrist, responds to subtle finger gestures. A pinch between the thumb and index finger acts as a selection command, while a thumb-middle finger pinch returns to the home screen. These motions quickly become second nature, and I found I could even operate the interface discreetly with my hand tucked inside a sleeve.
Combining the visual display with the neural band’s gesture controls creates a powerful, private way to interact with digital content. Imagine replying to texts or checking notifications during a meeting without anyone noticing. An upcoming handwriting gesture feature takes this further, letting you type by “air-writing” words with your fingers. I tried this unreleased function and was impressed by its accuracy, whether I used print or cursive script. The motion feels natural, much like writing with a pen, and doesn’t require perfect penmanship.
AI assistance has been noticeably enhanced in the Display model compared to earlier versions. While the original Ray-Bans provided useful features like live translation and object identification, the new glasses add a visual component that significantly improves usability. For instance, when asking for a recipe while cooking, Meta AI now displays ingredient lists and step-by-step instructions directly in your view. You can swipe through these visual cards hands-free using the neural band.
In one demonstration, I asked the AI to identify a flower I was looking at. It not only spoke the answer but also showed the flower’s name and an image in the viewfinder. Later, I requested an AI-generated picture of a woman wearing that same flower, it appeared instantly. Though real-time image creation may not have an obvious daily use yet, it showcases the system’s advanced capabilities. Another standout feature is real-time captioning, which transcribes conversations around you. This could be invaluable for people with hearing challenges, or simply for following discussions in noisy environments. During my test, transcriptions were largely accurate, even in a relatively quiet setting.
When it comes to style and comfort, the Meta Ray-Ban Displays strike a careful balance. They are slightly bulkier than standard Ray-Bans, but still resemble regular, if somewhat bold, eyeglasses. As someone who wears thicker frames daily, I found the design flattering and the fit comfortable. The Sand color option offers a neutral, skin-blending tone that softens the overall appearance. Weighing in at 69 grams, they are a bit heavier than previous generations, yet remain wearable for extended periods.
Battery life is rated for up to six hours of mixed use, which should suffice for a typical day. Comfort is crucial here, if the battery dies, those who rely on prescription lenses will still need to wear them. The neural wristband felt snug and unobtrusive during my demo, though a longer trial would be needed to assess all-day comfort.
Priced at $799, the Meta Ray-Ban Displays are positioned as a premium product aimed at early adopters and tech enthusiasts. They deliver a polished, functional experience that genuinely enhances daily routines through a blend of style, comfort, and innovative AI applications. While not yet essential for everyone, they make a strong case for being the next step in the evolution of AI-powered wearables.
(Source: ZDNET)
