Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, £299, ray-ban.com and meta.com
THE legendary sunglasses brand is looking to the future with these new smartglasses.
The tech marvels may look like traditional Wayfarers or Headliners but can film your surroundings, take photos, play your favourite tunes and receive phone calls.
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Pairing with the MetaView app on your phone, they can be used almost as cleverly as your mobile phone.
The sturdy leather hard case with built-in charging ensures they are always powered and safe.
A little button on their right arm can be clicked and held to take a photo, via a small LED light in the top corner.
The video option not only records your surroundings but also the audio – handy for those who love to live stream straight to their Facebook or Instagram feeds.
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When you open the app on your phone, the images and footage are immediately downloaded to your mobile and you can post them on your social media.
You can even directly share photos to friends and family from your glasses, with a simple “send a photo” voice command.
Pictures are taken in an ultra-wide 12MP format and can deliver 1,080p videos of up to 60 seconds.
Quality images and video, more than good enough for uploading to your socials, are captured thanks to built-in video stabilisation.
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But the magic doesn’t stop there. With stereo speakers positioned above the ear, which work just like a Bluetooth device, you can listen to your favourite music while out and about.
The speakers deliver a good volume for the wearer but it is not too noticeable for those around you.
High and mid-range frequencies are crisp and colourful, although the bass can sometimes quieten the volume.
A stereo feature means you can hear different instruments and vocals in different ears.
And that’s not all.
You can use the built-in mic and speakers to handle phone calls – and a plus point is that you don’t need to use a specific application for this.
The microphone performed very well and the loudspeakers allow you to hear in any environment.
Wearing all this tech was also a breeze.
The glasses are noticeably heavier than normal but that is to be expected.
They maintain their position on your face, too, not slipping down your nose.
Although, with slightly small ears, I did notice mild discomfort when wearing them for extended periods. It may be that with more use, I’d get used to that.
Create montage
Another excellent feature is the battery life. Even after a full day of listening to music, video recording and snapping photos, I was never left without charge.
The only possible improvement would be a clearer battery-level indicator on the case.
Ray-Ban has teamed up with Meta/Facebook to provide the app you use with the glasses, and it comes with all the proper design and development you expect from a large tech company.
You are taken through clear instructions when you first set up and there’s a decent tutorial with videos to run you through the features.
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The app even has extra built-in features for editing pictures and videos, to create montages of your day out.
Wayfarers have been the go-to staple for holidaymakers and more for generations, and these new smartglasses combine the classic style with modern tech for the new generation.
