When we were walking the halls of CES this January, we came upon a great display from Ray-Ban. They were showcasing a re-imagined pair of glasses that utilizes AI and had other features like audio integration and cameras.
Seeing how new technology like smart speakers have changed radio consumption, I was curious in particular how the glasses handle streaming audio and podcasts.
I also wanted to see if a smart device with a form factor more practical than the “goggles” from Meta’s Oculus or Apple’s Vision Pro could be a “wear-all-the-time” technology that could boost audio usage.
I’ve now been wearing the new Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses on-and-off for a month. I bought the Ray-Ban Meta AI prescription glasses online; they were shipped from Hong Kong and arrived less than two weeks later. The ordering process was straightforward and identical to purchasing online from a Zenni or Warby Parker. Pricing is comparable to a chain store’s glasses yet more affordable than high-end frames.
The design of the glasses is quite subtle, featuring two nearly invisible front cameras that are only noticeable when a small light indicates image capture. The image quality is impressive, and syncing photos to a smartphone is seamless. Additionally, the glasses include speakers on the arms above the ears, delivering sound quality that surpasses typical $50 earbuds, though not reaching the level of Sony studio headphones.
The glasses quickly and easily paired with my iPhone, which the glasses use for internet connectivity — no separate internet plans are needed or available.
The Down Sides
Despite the sleek design, the AI functionality is poor at best. Frequently, requests are met with, “I can’t do that, but I’m getting smarter every day!”
The touted feature of identifying objects in view is basic and poor. When I set up the glasses I worried about Meta’s privacy practices and use of my location services. But I shouldn’t have: 
while gazing at Lake Michigan, the AI mistook it for an ocean, and Meta AI could not provide a travel time or distance to the airport from my hotel. Also, if you ask for the weather, it doesn’t know where you’re at.
More alarmingly, Meta AI incorrectly advised on the safe use of a garment steamer, suggesting that wearing clothes during use was acceptable. Burn alert!
MetaAI can make phone calls based on your phone’s contacts, and users can dictate text messages, however the glasses cannot reply to text messages. Very odd.
Battery life is another drawback, with only four hours of usage when the speakers are active, maybe a couple hours more otherwise.
What About the Audio?
As for audio app integrations, the only native ones are Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music (the subscription service — not iTunes downloads). Users cannot manually select songs, only tap to play songs selected by the AI from your chosen music service. Fortunately, for users who want to stream podcasts or audio from other services like TuneIn or their favorite radio app, the glasses can stream audio from your paired phone. But you can’t ask MetaAI to play your favorite radio station or podcast from the glasses.
While these AI glasses do not in any way outperform a smartphone, they are more convenient for audio listening than popping in a pair of earpods.
I suppose they also serve as an interesting conversation starter at social gatherings — if you don’t freak out those who’ve watched too many episodes of Black Mirror.
Overall, a more of a novelty (remember Google Glass?), not a necessity.
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Originally published by Jacobs Media
