We Tried Ray-Ban’s New Meta Smart Glasses – Here’s What We Think

You’ve seen the videos floating around Facebook; we know we have. These incredible new Wayfarers, monikered the Wayfarer 2.0, is the latest innovation when it comes to eyewear. Available in multiple colors, these smart glasses are now becoming increasingly accessible to the public — and we have to say, it’s more than just a conversation piece.

Not only does it come in Ray-Ban’s classic (and arguably, most recognisable) silhouette, but these pair of sunnies also come with a multitude of features that are very 21st century indeed. For one, the glasses come with an ultra-wide 12MP camera that allows for both photo and video capturing.

When we tried it on at SM’s first-ever Sunglasses Festival (currently happening at SM Makati), we weren’t too surprised. The hype on social media had pre-empted us on what to expect.

There’s a small button on the right-hand side of the pair, right where the screw is traditionally located. Simply press once to capture a photo and twice to start video recording. The camera itself will blink white to let you know that it's been activated.

If your hands are full, you can also ask the glasses to do it for you. Just say “Hi Meta, please take a picture” or “Hi Meta, please record a video” and it will automatically do so at your bidding.

It’s all very cool, especially when you see the final result: media are immediately sent over to the Meta View App, which can be downloaded on smartphones. You can view your photos and videos right away.

We did notice, however, that the sending of information took a while sometimes, especially for videos. Probably just processing overload, but tech does have to tendency to slow down a bit with heavier data. Not much of a biggie, especially when you see the video played on-screen.

This is probably a mark of some kind of hubris, but it’s all very gratifying to see exactly what you just saw and have the power to replay it. Since you’re wearing the sunglasses while the photos and videos are being shot, you’ll likely remember these moments in shades of grey or sepia. But when these playback on your smartphone, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see everything in bright, vivid colour.

It was also pleasantly surprising how clear the audio was when the videos were played back. Equipped with open-ear speakers, which are intended to deliver extended bass and maximum volume, videos captured on the new Wayfarers had high-quality audio; this was despite the hubbub from the event happening at that very moment.

Plus — although we weren’t able to try this feature — the Wayfarers are also equipped to sync with Facebook and Instagram for live-streaming; very helpful for when you want to share your point of view with your followers (literally).

What we were able to try, however, was the Spotify capability of the sunglasses. Forget having to have a remote control for parties, these glasses can adjust volume and change songs at the touch of a hand. One can do so on the glass’s temple (also on the right-hand side). Though they promised a “hyper-sensitive touchpad,” it was a little difficult getting it to do exactly what we wanted. We don’t blame the glasses though. There could’ve possibly been a learning curve for us on how to use it. Anyway, we feel like if you can DJ a party using eyewear, that’s more than enough for what it can do.

While the Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been released in other parts of the world, this is the first time it’s making its way to Metro Manila. Interested buyers can check out the Sunglasses Festival happening until the end of March at SM Makati (next to H&M) to try it out, or register for pre-booking if they're interested. They will be updated on release dates, prices, and available models once approved.

After mulling over how much we thought the glasses were worth, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that they weren’t ridiculously exorbitant. The Wayfarers 2.0 retail for a little over US$300; and considering all its features, we’d say that’s a steal! After all, how much is it worth to have people see through your eyes?