There’s never been a better time to buy a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses

There’s only one AI wearable worth paying attention to – it’s stylish, useful even when it’s out of juice, and offers a handful of neat features like built-in speakers, a camera, and a surprisingly helpful assistant. I’m, of course, talking about the Ray-Ban meta smart glasses, and as part of this year’s Black Friday deals, they’ve got a solid discount.

In the US, the cheapest Ray-Ban smart glasses are now $239 (instead of $299), while in the UK, the cheapest Ray-Ban smart glasses are £239 (down from £299). Those are for lenses of one solid color or that are clear, for polarised lenses you’ll pay $263 / £263 while transition lenses cost $303 / £303.

With savings of $60 / £60 or more to be had, this is the best time ever to pick up a pair of these smart glasses if you’ve been on the fence about nabbing some, and from my experience with them, these are a gadget you’ll want to give a whirl.

My favorite social antisocial gadget

I’ve been calling the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses my favorite social antisocial gadget because they perfectly straddle this line thanks to their feature suite.

The on-the-face camera is perfect for social events as you can easily record photos and videos without missing them because your face is behind a phone screen. I’ve worn them to concerts and firework displays in recent weeks, and while the images aren’t as high quality as those taken on my phone, I enjoyed the glass’s ability to let me feel more present in the moments I captured.

But when I do want to shut myself off a little more – say when I’m taking the tube home from a work event – the built-in speakers are perfect for listening to music, mainly because the open-ear design allows me to still listen out for announcements or what’s happening in the real world – unlike a pair of noise-canceling cans. The audio quality doesn’t compete with dedicated open-ear headphones I love (like the JBL Soundgear Senses), but the glasses, being an all-in-one device, do have their uses, like when you want to travel light.

When you pack in the admittedly handy Meta AI with features like Look and Ask, you’ve got a seriously fun gadget in a sleek and stylish package. You can learn more about them in our Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses review.