Still, the included voice controls work quite well and at least expand beyond simply commanding the glasses to capture media. You can start a phone call, connect with people on WhatsApp or dictate messages, all with a “Hello Meta…”, and with surprising precision too. That five-microphone array picks up audio clearly even when I’m outdoors and walking on busy streets or on windy days, and they always selected the contact I wanted.
The sound of victory
It’s on the audio front where the Ray-Ban Meta glasses find their salvation. The sound quality is surprisingly good, to the point that I had to double check to see if they used bone conduction. It’s not like that, but the clarity almost fooled me.
For listening to music or podcasts while you walk, the way those upgraded speakers pump sound directly into your ears means Ray-Bans can easily replace in-ear headphones. This is not only more comfortable, but also has the advantage of leaving you situationally aware, able to hear the sounds around you.
While there is some dedicated integration with Spotify, the glasses pair with your phone like any other pair of Bluetooth headphones would, allowing you to use your preferred music service or podcast app. The directionality of the speakers means there is hardly any audio loss, which thankfully reduces the glass hole factor.
The right arm of the frame also functions as a touchpad for multimedia controls. Swiping a finger forward or back increases or decreases the volume, while a single touch plays or pauses. You can also answer and end calls with a double tap.
Sure, hardly anyone makes phone calls now, but the quality of the experience seriously impresses. On a test call to a friend, I could hear every word they said to me, even outdoors in traffic, and they could hear me perfectly. It was a bit surreal, talking into the ether, and I got some strange looks for talking “myself” from passersby who probably wouldn’t have even looked if I’d had in-ear headphones.
Long-term audio use is something of a battery drain, however, as the charge drops from maximum to about 15 percent over the course of a two-and-a-half-hour walk around town. That’s less than the proposed four hours per charge and required returning to the charging case.
A pair of very discreet connectors under the bridge of the nose clip to a holder on the case and are fully charged again in just over an hour. The case itself charges via a USB-C port (although you’ll need your own cable and plug) and is probably best left charging overnight.
final look
Photography: Ray-Ban
Unfortunately, a great audio experience isn’t enough to make the Ray-Ban Metas an essential purchase (just ask Bose to explain why they sound impressive). audio boxes was canned in 2022). Considered as a holistic product, they lack a clear purpose or identity, not convenient enough for thoughtless point-and-shoot captures, nor a comprehensive enough recording tool for influencers.
Even those who are lucky enough to have 20/20 vision should already use them to benefit from that primary ability to instantly shoot or record; If not, it will take them longer to put on the glasses. Wait for them to pair and then click instead of just grabbing your phone. Then consider that the Ray-Ban Metas assume that you are not too careful with the outcome of your photographs, given the framing problems.
Consider the semi-walled garden for sharing, especially when it comes to live streaming, and They run the risk of being a glass hole and alienating their friends and colleagues, and it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine who they really are for. Remember, Snap ended with $40 million worth of unsold smart glasses.
So while these Meta Specs benefit from Ray-Ban’s classic approach to style, making them glasses or sunglasses you’re more likely to want to wear for an aesthetic statement, as smart glasses they still feel more like a trick than as a necessity. have.
