Meta isn’t redesigning its increasingly popular Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it is pouring attention on them in the form of new colors, faster transition lenses, and a lot more Meta AI capabilities.
At Meta Connect 2024 at the Meta Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, I got a chance to try out the smart glasses’ latest capabilities, and it’s clear to me that this little brain transplant will help raise Ray-Ban Meta’s wearable companion capabilities.
Most of my experiences were in a sample Ray-Ban Meta Pop-up store, the first of which will soon appear in Los Angeles. It’s a place where you can experience all of the smart glasses’ various features, including Meta AI-powered ones, buy glasses, and even get them personalized with a custom engraving.
Some of Meta AI’s updated capabilities are thanks to better third-party app integrations. Meta AI can now play Spotify Music, and the requests can be based on artists, tracks, or even moods.
Sing a song
I donned a tortoiseshell pair of Ray-Ban Metas and asked Meta AI to play me a happy song by Taylor Swift. Granted, that was a bit of a fumbled request, so I guess I wasn’t surprised when Meta started playing the Happy Birthday song through the smart glasses’ speakers, which are positioned in the stems and near my ears.
I regrouped and asked for a Taylor Swift song (I know, shockingly not Hot to Go by Chappell Roan), and after a second delay, it played Shake It Off.
Meta AI now has vision capabilities, so there were places throughout the demo store where I could look at things and ask Meta AI what I was looking at.
There was an LA city street diorama in the middle of the store. I looked at it and asked Meta AI using the prompt, “Hey, Meta” what I was looking at. It took a few moments for Meta AI to reply, and I thought it didn’t hear me, but then it finally said, “You’re looking at a diorama featuring various cars and palm trees,” which was accurate.
With Meta AI, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses also have some basic translation capabilities. I looked at a Spanish-language sign in the pop-up store and ask Meta AI to “translate this sign.” I heard the smart glasses take a picture (it sounds like a camera shutter), and then Meta AI said, “Flower market, Mercado De Flores.” I thought the Spanish pronunciation at the end was a nice touch.
You can also use Meta AI to set visual reminders, though it’s a kind of clumsy process where you look at something and then tell Meta AI to remind you to do something later. I asked it to remind me to buy a book in five minutes. It might be just as quick to take out your phone and put in a reminder, but if you’re in the habit of doing this a lot, using Ray-Ban Meta and Meta AI might be a time saver.
We also used Meta AI to read a QR code and send the link to a phone, and I spotted some people in the corner of the room getting their glasses engraved. One cool little demo was Ray Ban Meta’s improved transition lenses. I watched as a Meta employee used a blue light to turn lenses a nice, dark shade quickly. I didn’t even know blue light could do that.
Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses still start at $329. Remember that not all of Meta AI’s features (like Vision) are available worldwide, so check before you buy this wearable companion.
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lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff)
