I've been an active user of Ray-Ban's Meta smartglasses for nearly a year at this point. It's been an interesting journey to see how the hands-off approach to receiving notifications, taking photos, and listening to Spotify has become a part of my routine. Though as time has gone on, it's abundantly clear that we're still in the early days of smartglasses. That said, after testing the new Meta Ray-Ban Display at a recent hands-on event, I feel like I've experienced a generational leap.
The idea of having a small, high-resolution display built into the lens of my glasses feels like a dream for someone like me who adores experimental tech. Though I was hesitant about whether the utility of $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses would outshine the novelty. I had my expectations of what the smart glasses could do, but after trying them on and testing all core components, I was staggered by some of the more surprising elements Meta offers.
Meta's Ray-Ban Display are private and not distracting
Don't worry about others seeing what's on your Spotify playlist
On paper, Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses seem innovative, but the prospect of having a transparent display built into the lens raised some red flags as far as privacy is concerned. With message notifications coming in, photo previews, and more, privacy is of the utmost importance to me and, frankly, the future of smart glasses.
Meta Ray-Ban Display feature a 600 x 600 pixel resolution, full-colour display built within the right-eye lens. The device can display full messages, photo and video previews, navigation services, and even show you what's playing on Spotify. The glasses use prism and waveguide technology with tiny projectors to beam the image into your eyes while making sure nothing is visible to others. It's pretty novel to see in action. The contrast in the image was enough for readability, though, granted, I sat in a pretty dark room.
Using the Meta Ray-Ban Display, I was surprised by how natural it was to take a peek at what appeared on the display while conversing with a Meta representative throughout my demo. The display pops up in the right corner of the right lens, allowing me to glance down, read a text and then get back into the conversation I was having.
Meta Ray-Ban Display
- Sunglasses?
- Yes
- Connective Technology
- Bluetooth
- Brand
- Ray-Ban
- Speakers
- Open-ear
Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses combine Ray-Ban's iconic style with a built-in, hands-free, in-lens display powered by Meta AI with a 600x600p display, showing notifications, live translations, and messages.
- Weight
- 69g
Intuitive gesture controls
Navigating the Meta Ray-Ban Display menus is easy to learn
Accompanying the Meta Ray-Ban Display is the Neural Band, which uses electromyography (EMG) to track hand gestures. Throwing it onto my left wrist, I was walked through a series of gestures. For instance, pinching my index finger and thumb, I could click, while a tap of my middle finger and thumb allowed me to go back, similar to mouse functions. A double-tap of my middle finger and thumb puts the display to sleep and wakes it back up.
It's not so much that it's overwhelming, but it's a matter of wiring your brain to make all motions and gestures feel less rigid.
The basic gesture controls were easy enough, and having experience with Apple's Vision Pro, they felt very intuitive. What shocked me the most were some of the more underlying and advanced gestures. For instance, there's a pinch and twist gesture that I used to adjust the volume of music while listening to Spotify. The audio quality and volume on the Meta Ray-Ban Display are amplified when compared to the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. So, while I cranked up the volume to max, my ears were treated to audio I could actually hear, even during a conversation.
There are also really novel navigation gestures. Swiping my thumb left or right allowed me to scroll between menu options and screens, letting me choose to interact with apps like Spotify, look at a list of messages, or bring up the navigation hub to find a nearby flower shop. It takes a little bit of getting used to all the settings. It's not so much that it's overwhelming, but it's a matter of wiring your brain to make all motions and gestures feel less rigid.
Photo and video capture is made far better
With a preview window, it's now easier to frame shots.
As an active user of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, one of the major pain points has always been content capture. It's incredibly difficult to frame the perfect photo or know if the subject of your video is centered in the frame due to the offset camera lens. To my surprise, the Meta Ray-Ban Display mitigates this by offering a preview display when capturing content. I never considered this a possibility but was delighted when the demo walked me through the process.
Using the in-lens display, I was able to see exactly what the 12-megapixel camera would be capturing. From there, I could move my head or body position to better orient myself around the planter of flowers in front of me. From here, I was able to grab a quick photo and also capture a short video in up to 3K at 30fps or 1080 at 60fps. The Meta Ray-Ban Display POV perspective is so unique for content capture. It puts the audience in the shoes of the creator, so it's nice to see Meta prioritize the ability to capture well-framed shots.
To no surprise, the Meta Ray-Ban Display look nearly identical to a traditional pair of Wayfarer sunglasses.
One of the other really cool aspects of the Meta Ray-Ban Display is the 3X zoom. To my shock, I was able to put my index finger and thumb together and make a twisting motion. The camera then zoomed in instantaneously. It was as easy as if I were adjusting a dial and making it easy to zoom back out to the original view.
Stylish and appropriate for street wear
The play to partner with Ray-Ban means you don't look out of place when wearing the Meta Ray-Ban Display
To no surprise, the Meta Ray-Ban Display look nearly identical to a traditional pair of Wayfarer sunglasses. Of course, with the built-in camera, six-microphone array, open-ear audio system, six-hour battery, and processor, they are a bit larger than the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. However, even at 69g, they don't feel bulky when wearing them. The new pair of smart glasses sits comfortably. Meta and Ray-Ban also offer a "larger" model. Both come in Charcoal Black and Sand colorways.
I was also delighted that the Neural Band, which ships in the same color, is also super comfortable. It reminds me of the Apple Watch Sport Loop. Meta explains that it's the same material used on the Mars Rover. It's a submersible band, meaning users can wash dishes or take a shower with it on if desired, as it's IPX7 rated.
By the end of my demo, I put my Ray-Ban Meta glasses back on, and it immediately struck me how much of a generational leap the Meta Ray-Ban Display are. In so many ways, the original pair feel like a proof of concept for what feels like the true pair of smart glasses that have the chance to take off.