- Meta and Oakley have released their non-limited edition smart glasses
- They’re up for preorder ahead of an August 26 release
- They start at $399 / £399 / AU$629
Oakley and Meta have finally debuted their six non-limited edition HSTN smart glasses, and they’re all available for preorder now, ahead of their August 26 release.
We now also have pricing for the smart specs, which is important. The cheapest pairs – black frame with clear lenses, or a warm gray frame with PRIZM ruby lenses – are $399 / £399 / AU$629, followed by $449 / £449 / AU$699 pairs – the black frames with PRIZM black polarized lenses, or brown smoke frames with PRIZM deep Water polarized lenses.
In the UK, the black with black polarized lenses are currently listed as £499, which we’re assuming is an error, simply because they’re the same price as the brown smoke specs in other regions. We’ve contacted Meta for clarification on this.
Otherwise, the most expensive two pairs – excluding the existing limited edition Oakleys – are priced at $479 / £479 / AU$719. This gets you either a black frame with clear to amethyst transition lenses or a clear frame with clear to gray transition lenses.
We’ll be testing a pair of these Oakleys soon, but there are three big reasons to buy these glasses. Firstly, their sporty design.
The frame shape is subjective, but Oakley’s PRIZM lenses can be super handy for certain sports. For instance, the ruby lenses are reportedly handy for sports like hiking and golf because of the contrast they create.
Then there’s the on-device hardware. The first-person camera isn’t the best, but I’ve found these sorts of specs are ideal for concerts and when you’re on holiday, as you can capture memories without taking yourself out of the moment by living it through a phone screen. The open-ear speakers are also handy for soundtracking your activities while keeping you present.
Finally, you have the advantages of Meta AI. The on-glasses version of the assistant has been a super handy tour guide and teacher for me. I’ve used it to learn more about destinations I visited in Italy – like structures at Pompeii – and it can quickly translate signs with a good amount of accuracy.
However, there’s one big reason I’m not in a rush to grab a pair: my Ray-Ban smart glasses.
These glasses aren’t as sporty, nor do they boast the Oakleys’ upgraded specs, but they’re honestly fine for my needs – and could be great picks for you if you want something a bit cheaper (the Ray-Bans start at $299 / £299 / AU$449).
If you aren’t yet rocking a pair of smart specs, however, then these Oakley glasses look to be well worth your attention, even if they are a little costlier. My advice would be to try a few pairs at an in-person store to see which ones you like best.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
