Customer Ratings & Reviews

The POV photos and videos that you are able to take with this are amazing. The quality of the camera is great. You can only record videos for 60 seconds at a time but this has felt like enough to capture a moment when using. Battery life is pretty good and usually lasts me the entire time of an event if I begin using them when it starts. I took them to an nba game and they lasted the whole time with 20 percent left on the battery and I took many videos with them throughout the event. They are rated to last for 4 hours but the case has a built in battery and also has lot of extra charge for your glasses. The glasses charge very fast in the case. The sound is pretty good and can get pretty loud. You are able to play audio or music from any app since the glasses are connected via bluetooth like any other headphones. Music starts and stops when you put on or take off the glasses just like AirPods and reconnects almost immediately.

So far, I really love these Meta glasses. They work really well taking pictures and videos. Also the sound whether I’m on the phone talking or listening to music is really very nice. And everyone I talk to over the phone says they hear me fine, nice and clear. All I have to do is say hey Meta, give him a command and he gets me the answers or makes the phone calls, etc. I’m using the John Cena voice, so much fun! I like how the lenses change to a darker amber color when I go out in the sun and they fit me very well. The photos attached were taken with Meta!

I’m not one for writing reviews but every once in a while I find a product worthy of praise. These RayBan Meta sunglasses are really great. I’m over 60 and have always loved gadgets and these are the ultimate. I wear them every morning on my walk while listing to music or talking on the phone. I have transition lenses so I can wear them inside or outside in foggy or sunny weather. The batter usage is par excellence, I rarely have to charge the case, I do keep the glass’s in the case when I’m not wearing them so they are always ready to go. The sound element on both phone calls and music is great without blocking out sounds around me. I love taking pictures and videos. It’s really convenient and the quality is pretty darn good, I’m having a great time with these glass’s and highly recommend them for both fun and hands free convenience. I prefer to use them at home over my earbuds which always bother me after a short time, however with the glass’s I can forget I’m wearing them until I want to make or answer a phone call or listen to and send messages. So go get yourself a pair, the price is right and they work great

Excellent sound quality, love the camera, battery life could be better but charging case is fashionable and full charges from 0% in 1 hour for at least 2 full charges.

These glasses are amazingly fun! I was genuinely delighted with my pair of Ray-Ban meta glasses . Meta AI is always available to answer questions. For instance, in a waiting room the other day, I wanted to vape. I thought second-hand vape clouds were harmless water. After consulting my handy meta AI, I was to ascertain that I was wrong about second hand and I was able to make the correct decision and take my vape outside!

The AI is very useful & they are so stylish, you can't even tell they are smart wear

I really loved this, I don’t need to carry separate sunglasses and AirPod as this smart glasses have best features of audio, video and hands free recording with AI. I bought 4 of those for my whole family Thanks for making this

Very useful sunglasses for trips and travelling! Iiked it a lot

Its ok it could better for the price the music quality is really good and camera excellent but the battery is really bad tho you can only use it for less than 4 hours then you have to charge it and wait atleast 20 mins to get 50 percent

I love the glasses, definitely a must have for traveling or even if you’re big on social media, you can instantly snap a photo, make a video or go live, the sound quality is amazing and let’s not leave out all in fashion they’re Ray Bans it’s a WIN for me!!!!

Love the look, amazing AI, video and sound could improve.

Very nice sunglasses i recomended this rayban meta very usefull

I’m gonna say up front that the Ray Ban Meta sunglasses are by far the coolest piece of technology that I have used this year. The technology isn’t very new, it has been tried by others with little affair but I think it’s finally starting to come along. It’s also been my first pair of real Ray Ban’s! First thing you’ll notice is that they have the classic Ray Ban style we all know and love. The sunglasses feel really premium, I almost don’t want to wear them to places I might scuff them up or dirty them. The lenses provide good sun protection and the frames are stylish and make for a very nice accessory. I love that they look look typical Rayban sunglasses. Hardly anyone realizes that I am wearing “smart glasses”. There is a little ring light that glows when taking photos and videos, and I believe there is only 1 camera on the frames. The right side has a touch pad that allows you to control volume and medía with pressure and slides. There is a button on the right side that captures photos and videos. You can also use the “hey meta” command to control your camera and media. The Ai tech is in its infancy but it sounds promising. I am intrigued and interested in what else Meta will be implementing with these smart glasses. For now it is a pretty basic assistant. It can control my music, make phone calls, snap photos and videos and can sometimes describe what I am looking at and provide information. Like I said, it’s in its infancy so don’t expect a google assistant type tech on it. While on the subject, I’m not the biggest fan of Facebook / having to log in with Facebook. So I appreciate that they have allowed people to create an account and log in without forcing people to make or use their personal Facebook account. The camera on these sunglasses is quite good! Definitely better than I was expecting it to be. It makes for some very interesting photos and videos. If you like to vlog or post photos and videos of your day I think you will really like these. I’ve always enjoyed watching “pov” style vlogs, so it’s cool to be able to make my own now. My only complaint about the camera is that it only seems to record in portrait (vertical) mode. I mean it’s perfect for mobile viewing. But if you watch the videos on a tablet or computer screen, there will be giant black bars on either side of the video. I don’t use what’s app, but meta says that they will be allowing videos calls with these glasses very soon. You should be able to share your view with the person you are talking to. I’ll have to download the app and use it when the function goes live. As a photographer, I love to “document” life. I’m always taking photos and videos. So I love these glasses because “I always have a camera on me now”. Audio quality is also quite good for what it is. The speakers sound full (for their size) and listening to music while out on a walk is a pleasure. It allows me to remain aware of my environment while listening to my favorite music. Phone calls sound loud and clear and everyone I’ve talked to on a phone call with these say my voice sounded loud and clear. The included charging case is also very nice and premium. I don’t know if it’s actual leather but it feels like it. It has a usb c port for charging and the glasses attach inside magnetically to the case. Battery life is impressive and I typically only have to charge the case about once a week. Would I recommend these? Yes! They are so much fun to use, and they cost about the same as a price of Ray Bans. The tech in these glasses is so cool and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these.

💪 BUILD: I have the glossy version of the low-bridge Headliner model. While I typically prefer matte textured frames, I do like the aesthetic of the shiny Headliner. I wear glasses all the time, so my frames tend to go through some wear and tear. My Headliners already have a few scuffs on the frames, but it’s not noticeable unless I’m really looking. Not really an issue in the grand scheme of things, but I do wish that Meta offered a matte version of the Headliner. Hopefully there will be an option in the future, as a couple other models have matte options. Folding the glasses feels confident, and stowing them away in the charging case feels secure without them rattling around. The case itself feels nicely designed—neither cheap nor premium, but certainly more premium than my normal sunglasses cases. And I appreciate that there’s an indicator light on the magnetically closing lid to give me a quick status on its battery level. The USB-C port on the bottom makes it easy to charge the case, and a stealthy pairing button on the rear of the case makes it easy to pair with your smartphone. It should also be mentioned that the glasses themselves are IPX4 rated, so they can withstand some splashes, but they won’t necessarily be able to sustain a downpour. I wouldn’t recommend taking them into a pool unless you’re cautious as not to get them wet, since submerging them is completely out of the question. 🔘 CONTROLS: The control scheme is pretty straight forward on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. When you’re wearing them, you’ll find the ability to take pictures by pressing the button on the top-right of the frame, and holding the button will begin a video clip. For music playback and spawning the Meta AI assistant, you can use the stealthily hidden touch area of the frame, also found on the right side. Swiping gestures will control volume, single tap to play/pause, and double-tap or triple-tap to skip forward and backward. And a long-hold to spawn the Meta AI assistant or optionally Spotify Tap or Apple Music. You can also configure a 3-finger hold in the app, but only to spawn the Meta AI assistant. There’s also a switch found on the inner-left side of the frames if you want to completely power off the glasses and use them as a normal pair of sunglasses without additional features. Whether it's for privacy purposes or to save battery, the option is there. And lastly, you can control many of these features simply using your voice with Meta AI, in addition to all the other benefits an AI assistant could yield you. So if your hands are preoccupied, saying “Hey Meta” spawns the AI with a very high success rate. 👓 COMFORT: I’ve been wearing the Ray-Ban Meta Headliner under a variety of different scenarios—driving, working on a computer outdoors, wearing them on my 7 mile round-trip scooter commute to work, and other leisurely scenarios. For me, the low bridge fit of the Headliner has been good, overall. Many other glasses I’d be constantly re-adjusting as they’d be slipping down my nose, but these have been much more pleasant than I’d expected. I’ll still need to put them through the paces of more strenuous activity like running or volleyball, but in casual day-to-day usage, wearing them has been seamless and pleasant. 📷 CAMERA: Still images are captured from the camera at 12MP (3024x4032) in a portrait/vertical aspect ratio. In well-lit environments, the images and videos aren’t as sharp as a modern smartphone when you zoom in and compare frame-by-frame—but I was still very impressed with the color and contrast. In dimly lit environments, the images will be much softer, so perhaps not as good for sharing on social media. Videos are captured at 1360x1824 @ 30 fps in a portrait/vertical aspect ratio, and are limited to 60 second clips. This consistently yielded a file size of about 115MB per 60 second clip. So you won’t be able to sustain a long recording session on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but you’ll certainly be able to store quite a few clips on its internal 32GB storage. Video stabilization was impressively good in my experience. As someone who rides a fast electric scooter, all my footage was very smooth with no lens distortion or rolling shutter effects. But since the framerate is capped at 30fps, this does mean that quick head motions will yield blurrier footage during those moments. And I noticed that during really sunny outdoor environments, the auto-exposure was very good and quick to react—but this could be distracting if the amount of light being captured by the sensor is constantly changing. Since you don’t have a viewfinder, you won’t really know if you’re getting a good shot until you’ve imported it. So I certainly wouldn’t rely on this as a main camera, but it’s been an absolute joy to have at the ready. Importing videos and images is as simple as opening the Meta View app on your phone and hitting the “Import” button which will join your phone to the glasses over a direct Wi-Fi connection. However, you can also auto-import while charging the glasses in the case while connected to a saved Wi-Fi network. I really appreciate this feature since it means I can take pictures and videos while being in the moment, then automatically have photos imported when I’m home. 🎤 MICROPHONE: The onboard microphones also surprised me quite a bit, as well. While they won’t do very well while blazing through wind on my electric scooter, they are excellent for capturing audio in most other situations. They do a very good job of recording your own voice, and a decent job at recording your immediate environment. Personally, I’d say the audio is about on par with many smartphone microphones which was a pleasant surprise. I frequently used these microphones to spawn the Meta AI by saying “Hey Meta”, and was surprised to find that it was able to hear me and consistently fulfill my inquiries while blazing in the wind on an electric scooter. 🔊 SPEAKERS: The speakers on the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are certainly not going to replace my earbuds for more intimate listening purposes, but for casual listening while working outdoors or on a scooter ride, I do enjoy them. In bassier music (which is a lot of music these days), the dynamic EQ will cause vocals and other instruments to become much quieter whenever there’s a low-end punch, so this can be pretty distracting for me. I’m hoping they can revise their algorithm to alleviate this behavior. These speakers aren’t built to deliver this kind of bass; I’d be much happier if they would keep the rest of the frequency range intact and let the bass response take a sacrifice because at least then I wouldn’t be hearing vocals constantly changing loudness. Producers use vocal compression to alleviate these kinds of problems in studio recordings, but these are undoing that work. The speakers will function much more consistently for podcast style content, but a lot of my library exhibited this distracting behavior to varying lengths. It really depends on how the music was produced, so it really doesn’t matter what genres you listen to—your library just isn’t safe from this EQ algorithm. This makes the listening experience less immersive than many $20-$30 in-ear monitors, and I imagine for the majority of people, this is supposed to be one of the main selling points of the glasses. So if you’re listening casually and not very intently, these can be great, but if you’re looking to be immersed, I found this behavior to keep me distracted. 🤖 META AI: Meta AI is one of the cooler features about these glasses, but they’re still a work in progress. You’re able to control most of the features of the glasses through a simple voice command, and also provide answers to inquiries you’d run through most AI search algorithms these days. However, responses will typically be short and succinct, so you shouldn’t expect really detailed responses. Moreover, there’s still a lot of things Meta AI cannot do—like reminders, calendar events, sending images over SMS, language translations, voice memos, etc. Only time will tell which features will be integrated into Meta AI. I haven’t quite found a genuine use-case for telling the Meta AI to tell me more about something in front of me, but it performs best when analyzing things close by, as opposed to off in the distance. 🔋 BATTERY: Meta claims that you can achieve 4 hours on a single charge (capturing and syncing up to 100 videos or up to 500 photos per full charge). This will vary depending on how you use them, but I did find that claim to be pretty reasonable even with music playback, but it’ll also vary depending on how loud you are listening. With that said, it takes only 75 minutes to reach a full charge from dead in the charging case, and you can achieve a 50% charge in only 22 minutes. So if you are expecting to use the smart features throughout an entire day, you’ll likely need to top up throughout the day to keep the action going. Thus far, I only reached a low battery one time, and I appreciated that the Meta AI assistant told me so I could charge them for my next usage. 🧐 CONCLUSION: For the asking price, I do think the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are innovative, and I’m making them a more integral part of my everyday life as someone who frequently wears glasses. My biggest criticism is in regards to the sound EQ—which I hope can be improved with a firmware update. But there are a lot of things to like about these glasses, and I hope to see Ray-Ban and Meta improve upon them over time.

Meta has been expanding into hardware over the past several years and these new smart sunglasses were an impressive integration of technology into a pair of stylish Ray-Ban sunglasses that would be expensive by themselves without all the cool features. I've used smart sunglasses from two other manufacturers in the past and these, by far, were the best. First, the glasses are comfortable, look good, and protect your vision on sunny days as well as any sunglasses that I've used. They have a little bit of extra weight because of the onboard tech / battery, but not enough to be a bother. Setting up the glasses was an easy process. If you have a Facebook account you can easily launch the app and get going with that log-in. Otherwise you can create a new Meta account. You are not required to create a Facebook account to use these, similar to Meta's Quest VR. The set up process was quick and painless. A software update took place automatically and then I was given a quick tutorial on the app that shortened the learning curve admirably. Where this product really shines is the tech. I've had other Bluetooth sunglasses before, but the audio quality was not great with them. Music and podcasts sound GREAT on these, and sound can actually get TOO loud where others can hear what you are listening to in quieter areas. Fortunately, it is easy to toggle volume with a quick swipe on the touch pad. These sunglasses are the first I am aware of to have an integrated camera....and it works very well! I wore them to my nephew's high school graduation yesterday and was able to take pictures and record video while staying in the moment and enjoying a wonderful event. I would caution everyone to NOT wear a hat when using the camera though, as your hat's brim will get in the way. You can tip your hat up to get it out of the way if you like. The camera has an important outward-facing LED feature that lights up and the glasses make a shutter sound when you are taking a picture. When you are recording video, the LED remains lit for the duration. These are important privacy features so that subjects are not captured on images/videos without their knowledge. You can toggle the brightness of the LEDs, but not turn them off. Lastly, I found the AI to work extremely well. Meta is not yet thought of as a leader in AI, but their companion worked very well for me. You can activate it by saying "Hey Meta" or, as I preferred to do, adjust the settings in the app to activate the AI by touching the touchpad. I toggled settings so that a single touch and hold launches Spotify, while a 3 finger touch and hold activates the AI. I was able to do pretty much anything other AI can do. My favorite was asking it to tell me what I was looking at. Other AI can do this too if you are holding up your phone camera, but it was great to be able to perform this function just by looking toward something while wearing the glasses. I can imagine this being helpful for tourists, shoppers, etc. You can keep your phone in your pocket and keep your hands free while you are living life! These sunglasses are an incredible buy at their current price, considering that you get excellent quality Ray-Ban sunglasses AND all of the smart features mentioned above.

Love these glasses! It’s the perfect headphones and spy camera. Ideal gift for you techie and gadget lovers

got these because i am sensitive to sounds and light, one of the best purchased i have ever made

I have really enjoyed using and experimenting with these Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. I put them firmly in the category of devices, like a smartwatch, that surprised me by how useful and fun a device they are. They are a nice complaint to my smartphone that I didn’t realize I was missing. First things first, they are Ray-Ban Headliner style glasses. The footprint is the tried and true Headliner design and from a distance they are nearly indistinguishable from traditional Headliners. The front facing camera lens, LED indicator, capture button, and the right-side touch panel being the main cosmetic differences. The glasses are of premium quality construction. They are slightly heavier, but not much bulkier than traditional glasses. They are solid but comfortable to wear. Due to high-quality hinges, they open and close with noticeable authority and precision. The lenses are a polarized green tint. I like that they are dark enough to block out a high degree of sunlight, while not being so dark as needing to be taken off in lower light. Included in the box is a classic Ray-Ban case. The case is a premium quality, hard case that is encased by a soft fabric. The case doubles as the charger, and has a USB-C port on the bottom of the case for charging. The glasses battery is rated to last 4 hours, and takes 1.25 hours to reach a full charge. The case is capable of providing up to 32 hours of charge to the glasses. The case feels heavy for a glasses case, but this is due to the internal battery. The first step is to download the Meta View App. The App is a requirement to use, and an account is also required. I was able to use my Facebook account to login, but a separate Meta account can alternatively be used that is separate from Facebook. The App intelligently walked me through the setup and pairing process. A firmware update was needed, and took about 5 minutes. I was able to connect my smartwatch and these smart glasses to my IPhone at the same time. The App provides a short tutorial but the glasses are very simple to use. Pressing the capture button once takes a still photo. Holding the capture button down starts a video recording. The LED indicator on the right front blinks to signal video capture. The camera lens is on the left front of the glasses and though favors a left field of view. The side touch panel is multi-function and can be used to pause or start audio, and to raise and lower volume. I found the touch panel to be responsive and work quite well. The audio quality is adequate for basic use. The sound reaches the ears indirectly with some diffusion. The sound is audible to the user but I would describe the sound as somewhat thin. For quiet settings the sound is adequate, but I struggled to hear well in noisy environments. They can be used to answer and conduct phone calls, but I prefer to use my iPhone for this. The 12 MP camera lens captures HD video at 4032 x 3024 resolution. I found the video quality to be excellent for still images and video. The camera in these glasses will not replace your phone, but provides unique recording options for when one's hands are occupied, like when one is riding a bike or a scooter for example. These glasses have AI voice command capability. The voice commands are available for most functions including answering phone calls and messages, and video and still image capture. The voice command feature works well but I prefer to use the buttons and App. I think these Ray-Ban smart glasses are a great concept! I look forward to using them and experimenting with their various applications. They are an excellent complement to a smartphone, and the potential is enormous. These glasses are smart, but just as importantly to me, is that they provide the timeless Ray-Ban look that is known and loved.

I’ve noticed Meta’s website mention it takes 75 minutes for the glasses to charge in the case but for me it only takes 49 minutes. This leads me to believe the Meta Headliner Low Bridge sunglasses I have are of a new model. So please bear this in mind. My review is for my specific model. The low bridge fit is a game changer for me. I’ve never paid attention to bridge fit before. I would just pick a style I like and if it fits my head, I go with it. But with some of my glasses, they slip down my face, and I find myself often pushing them back up. With these Headliner low bridge fit sunglasses, I’ve never had to adjust them. They sit nice and comfortable on my nose. There are no adjustable silicone nose pads. It’s just the plastic frame that protrudes and acts as the nose pad. The glasses’ width is 5-5/8” but the width of my head from the edges of my ear to ear is 5-7/8” so it is a snug fit on me and I am expanding the arms with my head. The sunglasses do not have a spring hinge so they’re not meant to expand outside of its natural width. The glasses itself look and feel like normal Ray-Bans, down to the material. Where you would normally find silver tabs or rivets on the temple of the glasses, you’ll find a camera on the right (left when worn) and LED on the left (right when worn), both of the same size and shape. Neither the camera or the LED stand out to look out of place. They’re extremely discrete, and look like they’re part of the style of the glasses, not having anything to do with technology. It’s only obviously apparent that they are not regular sunglasses when the camera is active, where the LED shines bright white and pulsates to attract attention, but isn’t distracting to others. The lenses are green (Polar G-15 Green) but not in an obvious way. Its green is very discrete and a quick look would get you thinking they were black. The lenses are NOT polarized so they won’t combat glare from bright light, like bright sunlight, which is what people look for with driving sunglasses. But since they’re not polarized, it won’t distort your vision when looking at LCD screens such as a monitor or your phone. The case is typical Ray-Ban affair, with its classic tan color and snap-lock, which are magnetic on these. It appears to be made from faux leather. The inside is lined with a soft material that feels like the underside of some leathers to prevent scratching when the glasses are in the case. I was kind of disappointed it didn’t come with a microfiber cloth. They charge via USB-C. Installation is done from your mobile device using the Meta View app. There’s a QR code on the inside of the sunglasses’ box to download the app. Bluetooth pairing can only be done while the glasses are in its case. You can pair them with Bluetooth devices without the app but they’ll only act as Bluetooth headphones. It does not have multipoint though and can only connect to one Bluetooth device at a time. The app also serves as a manual, imports media to your mobile device, and Meta AI. There is no on-device AI. It’s all through from the Meta View app and the device it’s installed on. Your media is downloaded to the Download>Meta View folder on an Android device. There’s 32GB of flash storage but if you have auto-import enabled, which it is by default, it’s more than you actually need for one session given the limited battery life it has. A 1 minute video will take up 110MB. You can take up to 34 minutes of video per session. So that’s about 3.74GB Media importing can be done from the glasses or inside the case (via auto-import) but importing from the glasses is done by the slower Bluetooth. Importing from the case is done over the dramatically faster Wi-Fi, but you’ll need to set up the Wi-Fi connection within the app first. The camera is limited to shooting in portrait mode and a fixed focus. It’s also located on the left temple of the glasses when worn (right if you’re looking at the glasses from the front). This makes framing your target, whether it be for photos, videos, or getting Meta AI to reference something you’re looking at, extremely difficult. What you see is NOT what you get. Everything is off-center and zoomed out. Because it captures a lot of area space, if you ask Meta AI to identify something small from far a distance, it will fail. Videos are limited to 60 second clips. What’s odd is, nothing prevents me from starting another video clip immediately after the preceding 60 second clip ends. I was able to do this for 34 straight minutes, until the battery dropped to 10% where camera functions are disabled. It warned me of heat afterwards, but it was after the battery was drained to 0% and charging in its case. But even then, the cooling process only made the charging time longer by 2 minutes. Meta AI feels like it’s in beta. It uses my phone for location, of which I granted it permissions to, and yet it doesn’t have my correct location, whereas all the other apps on my phone do. When I asked Meta AI what time the Dunkin nearest me closes, it gave me the hours for the location 20 minutes away from me. There’s one 6 minutes away from me that. Translation is currently limited to 5 languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German. Because of the camera’s fixed large capture size, the text would either need to be large or you would need to have your glasses really up close to it to make the text appear large and isolated for it to be able to correctly refer to it. But the camera location makes framing a guesswork. Your eyes are NOT the viewfinder. When you’re targeting a subject you’ll want to be facing about 15 degrees to the left off-target for your actual target to be centered for picture/video taking or AI identification. You’ll also have to capture the subject while being straight. When I tried capturing a photo while leaning on my sofa, my eyes don’t see the TV slanted because my pupils adjust. The camera is fixed so it won’t adjust. My photo came out slanted. So it is NOT what you see is what you get. Because of this AI will often refer to an incorrect subject when you ask it to look. Meta AI also does NOT have the ability to look up prices for objects you look at, although it says it’s on the way. Meta AI has no smart control ability and will not be able to control your smart devices. It can’t even do simple functions like set a timer or an alarm. When I asked Meta AI who won the Rangers game it correctly identified Game 4 of the NHL ECF but incorrectly told me that the Rangers won 3-2. My phone’s AI correctly told me the Panthers had won 3-2. The glasses do not have the ability to activate your digital assistant on your phone that many Bluetooth headphones can do. Instead, all they have is Spotify Tap and Calm support. You cannot set up gestures to activate your own apps. The pause and play gestures will work on (almost?) any app, which is a single tap of the right arm of the glasses. Volume control is done by the right arm forward or back. A 3-finger tap can be assigned to activate the Meta AI manually instead of by voice. The capture button is a physical button located on top of the right arm by your temple. A press will capture photos, while a press and hold will start video recording. You have the ability to switch these actions around from the app, but that’s all the customization they allow for the capture button. Press the capture button again while video recording ends the recording. Otherwise, it’ll keep recording for 60 seconds. Pictures look decent, but they’re nowhere close to measuring up with smartphone cameras. The photos taken were not meant for zooming or cropping at all. Doing so will reveal a ton of softness and loss of clarity. The same goes for video. It does a respectable job in low light conditions. Not too much noise but a lot of softness. It works best in natural light, outdoors. Sound is remarkable for this form factor. It reminds me of Meta Quest’s open-ear speakers but better in that they can go much louder. The sound stage is wide thanks to its open design. There’s depth and clarity. It doesn’t sound tinny or weak. Bass is present and clean but it will disappoint listeners that enjoy powerful thumping bass. Listening to Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” and the bass drop 13 seconds in barely thumps. It’s like the frequency is too low for it. But listening to Blu DeTiger’s “All I Ever Want Is Everything” album and the bass sounds alright. It’s engaging but you can’t feel the bass. There’s no avoiding sound leakage, but whether it’s a real problem depends solely on your listening environment. I live in NYC and I have no issues with playing audio at high volume with traffic noise masking it. In silence, 20% volume makes my audio indistinguishable but it depends on the content. Call quality is excellent and clear. There is also noise cancelling with microphone. Marketing claims for battery life appear to be accurate. I was only able to get up to 4 hours of battery life no matter if I turned voice activation off or not. When using it for Bluetooth audio only, I got 4 hours and 10 minutes of continuous use. When using it for video recording only, I got 34 minutes of continuous use (I would start another video recording immediately after one ended) up until the 10% mark, when camera functions stop. I got an additional 20 minutes using it for Bluetooth audio for a total of 54 minutes from 100% to 0% during that outing. With voice activation on and using it with mixed moderate use, I got 4 hours. Charging the glasses from 0% to 100% took 49 minutes. The case itself holds several rounds of charging. I still haven’t been able to drain it to 0% yet and I’ve fully charged my glasses from 0% with it at least 3 times. The Meta Ray-Bans look great but the tech feels like great options for sunglasses like anti-scratch coating or Transitions. The tech part feels too limiting but if you’re fine with its shortcomings, they may be perfect for you.

It is hard to believe that until recently, this category of devices/tech did not exist: sunglasses that also serve your audio, picture, video and lately AI needs. Ray-Ban’s Meta Headliner sunglasses is a device that caters to the aforementioned functions in a stylish somewhat discrete package. My Ray-Ban Meta Headliners are primarily durable sunglasses with some tweaks. They feature two open-ear speakers along the temples/arms. This technology manages to deliver very audible sound with even some bass. Audio capture is facilitated by a five-mic array setup that help deliver clear audio/voice for conversation and or commands. A single 12 MP HD camera with maximum resolution of 3024 x 4032 for stills and 1440 x 1920 (at 30fps) for videos is located on the left rim (when wearing the sunglasses.) Picture and video outputs are very sharp in sunlight and well-lit environments. An LED indicator is located on the right rim to alert your surrounding environment that capture may be in progress; it illuminates briefly for stills and stays on for the duration of videos, currently maxed at 60 seconds per take. You may reduce the length to 30 or even 15 seconds. Video and picture capture are either by voice command (preceded by Hey Meta) or the shutter located on the right temple/arm. With updates, the voice recognition has been perfected to wake Meta (Hey Meta or OK Meta.) Inside the right rim is the status indicator for the user. The protective case also has an LED that displays the battery level of the sunglasses when they are in the case and only the case’s battery level when the sunglasses are not inside the case. The Meta View app, available via Google Play or Apple App Store is the gateway between the sunglasses (including case), features and captured content. Setup is very simple via short videos which guide the user. There are options to connect to either your phone, Messenger or WhatsApp. Once connected, commands are very conversational. Through additional questions, Meta (the AI assistant) can help narrow your options: an example having a contact listed with a “regular” mobile number that is also stored as a WhatsApp number. The assistant will help you confirm your preference of either the mobile or WhatsApp number you want to call. Names are also pronounced with decent effort. Incoming Messages can also be composed and sent via Meta. As the handsfree interaction could account for a bigger portion of its use, the Meta View app provides a list of different voices that can also be sped up or slowed depending on your preference. The Ray-Ban Meta devices have really evolved with regards to AI. I have been fortunate to own the earlier Ray-Ban Stories which were trendsetting on their own as they paved the way. I also remember early updates when my first pair of Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses (Wayfarers) gained the ability to tell time. AI has now been developed to provide time, weather, temperature and my personal favorite “Hey Meta, what am I looking at?” With the last command, the sunglasses take an instant picture of your field of view, analyze and summarize it for you. I was very much amazed the first time I tried it and feel this could go a long way to assist anyone who may be slowly losing their vision, in my opinion. Meta can also help with translations: upon asking for a translation, Meta asks for you to share the phrase or word and it provides the English translation. I have asked what the breaking news of the day was and Meta has responded credibly. Should the question or request be too challenging, Meta lets you know it is still evolving every day! The AI features also spill over into the images via the Smart Crop feature which seeks to “fix” pictures by attempting to straighten and/or remove “unwanted” elements that may have not been the intended target. With up to four hours on a single charge and an additional 32 hours through charging via the case, my Ray-Ban Meta Headliners are very handy when it’s time to hit the road. There is no anxiety for running out of power. They also have an IPX4 water resistant rating meaning light drizzle and possibly sweat should not be worries when using them. That being said, I am diligent to clean them as soon as I have the opportunity. 32Gb of onboard flash memory are said to be capable of storing over 500 still pictures or at least one hundred 30-second videos, neither of which I am anywhere near. The Meta View app also facilitates seamless transfer of content via Messenger, Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp. Bluetooth, text messages, print options are also available to me to help reclaim storage should the need arise. Calm and Spotify are available in the Meta View app as default streaming apps although any streaming app may use the device to deliver content. Spotify, as a result can thus be configured to begin play by tapping the right arm for example. We can certainly wish for our individual preferred apps/services to be offered these options through an update, perhaps? Another recommendation I have for future consideration would pertain to the actively paired device count in the Meta View app. Currently, this number is two. To their defense, pairing and unpairing are relatively quick and simple. I have no doubt the future is clearly very bright for my Ray-Ban Headliner sunglasses and its family of devices, serving a primary purpose providing eye protection while helping users gain some handsfree options for filming, calling or streaming audio. In my opinion, a great thing is getting a whole better with boundless potential.