The Snapdragon-powered Ray-Ban Meta glasses go where I go, see what I see, and I don’t want to take them off
Amidst all the brouhaha about big advancements in technology, the best pieces of tech are those that blend seamlessly into our lifestyle to a point where one doesn’t even notice they’re there. Quietly doing what they’re supposed to do, these devices hold the potential to enhance our lives. And if you think about it carefully, there aren’t many that make the cut. Most gadgets require a learning curve to use, and one needs to adapt to them, whereas in the ideal world, it should actually be the other way around — technology should be able to adapt to you. A smart ring, for example, is one such device that promises to blend into your lifestyle and do its thing without you having to do anything else apart from wearing it. Smart door locks come to mind too — once installed, they hold the potential to change your life for the better, since you no longer have to carry your house keys. However, smart glasses are up front and centre, and among the most noteworthy members of this elite club. I’m referring to the Snapdragon-powered Ray-Ban Meta.
Sure, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been out there for a while, but they have evolved quite a bit since the last time I tried them. And yes, they even have some serious competition now, thanks to Meta’s own Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, which boast better video recording resolution and longer battery life. More importantly for us in India, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are finally available to buy officially. I must admit I’m late to the party… with many of my friends having already procured these smart glasses from abroad. I’ve been mulling over buying a pair for myself for a long time, and as techies usually do, I ended up discussing the pros and cons with some of my techie friends who’ve been using these glasses for some time now. More on this in a bit, but pretty much all of them had good things to say.
Table of Contents
The brains
The driver behind it all is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, powering both the Ray-Ban Metas as well as the Oakley Meta HSTN. The AR1 Gen 1 platform is specially optimised for smart glasses — it’s small and lightweight so as not to add any unnecessary bulk to the wearable. However, the capabilities of the chip aren’t lightweight by any means — Meta did use the same platform for two consecutive generations of its smart glasses. We’re talking not just the photo and video capability, but also optimised thermals and power, low-power audio, sharing and streaming (Qualcomm FastConnect 7800 Mobile Connectivity System that enables Wi-Fi 7), and above all, cutting-edge AI capabilities (thanks to the 3rd-gen Qualcomm Hexagon NPU and the AR-grade Engine for Visual Analytics).
The brawns
There are a few different aspects that make the Ray-Ban Meta glasses so powerful and compelling. The key to their success is the right blend of design, form factor, capabilities and AI, taking them from a high-tech novelty to something which, I think, could be super useful to many folks. I’ll talk about these aspects one by one below, and while I’m at it, also include a few thoughts from some of my friends from the tech media industry.Classic design
In short, the design is timeless and iconic. While they’re available in different styles, it’s the Wayfarer design that stands out for me. It’s unisex, suits most faces, and works with both formal and casual attire. Ray-Ban has done well by introducing different colours and lens types. Since sunglasses can usually just be worn outdoors in daylight, you have the option of buying a pair with clear lenses or with transition lenses that change colour based on ambient light. And if you wear eyeglasses, you can even get prescription lenses fitted into the Ray-Ban Metas, which basically means these can replace your regular specs for all-day wearing. And yes, they aren’t that bulky or heavy, so you can wear them for long hours without hassle. Like my friend Tushar Kanwar, who’s an independent tech columnist, puts it, even if you run out of battery, the Meta glasses serve as a perfectly good pair of glasses.
It sees what you see
The 12MP camera, placed on the top right, basically sees what you see. It can shoot FHD video in the vertical orientation, with each video clip limited to 3 minutes. The video quality is pretty good, especially in daylight, and works well for PoV-style videos. You can shoot still images too of course, and that comes in handy when you encounter moments that are worth capturing, but too fleeting for you to be able to pull out your phone in time. It’s not just useful for content creators, but being able to capture moments spontaneously is a use case that should appeal to many.
Tech Entrepreneur and veteran Varun Krishnan, who runs Fonearena.com, says he bought a pair mainly for capturing spontaneous content. On the other hand, Nikhil Chawla, who’s also a content creator with a large follower base, and apart from covering tech, also covers automobiles, used it effectively for shooting tons of PoV-style videos of cars. It’s a great use case for these glasses, since you can keep both your hands on the steering wheel and share a quick personal opinion while driving and shoot an interesting video at the same time, without breaking any rules or endangering your safety or that of others.
Whispers sweet nothings (or everything) in your ears
The open-style audio churned out by the speakers placed in the temples is surprisingly rich in terms of quality. You can listen to music, watch videos, and even handle calls… without being cut off from the environment and things happening around you. Sure, there’s some sound leakage, but that’s par for the course for open-style audio. My friend and industry colleague, Navkendar Singh from IDC, swears by his Ray-Ban Metas. He got his Meta glasses customised with prescription lenses and replaced his regular specs with these so he can wear them all day. While he doesn’t use the built-in camera much, he finds them great for handling calls. The 5-mic system and the stereo speakers in the stems work well in tandem, handling incoming and outgoing audio. In my case, I found myself using them for listening to music even during short, 15-minute cab rides, being too lazy to dig into my pocket to fish out my TWS buds, pop them into my ears, and then repeat the process in reverse at the end of the cab ride. The Meta glasses are already on my face, so I don’t really have to do anything more than play music on my phone.
Communication and messaging
Using the Meta AI app, which acts as the companion app for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, you can connect apps like WhatsApp, Messenger etc with your glasses, and get incoming messages read out to you as soon as they land on your phone. Not just that, you can use voice commands to send messages to contacts hands-free as well. Convenience is the name of the game. Again, super useful when driving or travelling in a crowded metro train.The power of Meta AI
While many Meta AI features weren’t available in India, things have changed now after these glasses became available in India officially. Meta AI adds a whole new layer of functionality to these glasses, over and above the camera and the audio prowess they offer. Using the hotword ‘hey Meta’, you can use Meta AI as a personal smart assistant. Since the glasses see what you see, you can simply ask questions like “what am I looking at?” to get details on whatever is in front of you, or peek inside your fridge, and ask “what can I make using these?”, to get suggestions on recipes. You can say “translate this” if you come across a sign or restaurant menu written in a language you don’t understand, or even ask you to tell you a joke or get an update on the weather.
My take
There are devices that are wearable gadgets. They are gadgets first, wearables later… so you need to adapt to them. The Ray-Ban Meta is a wearable that is also a gadget, though you wouldn’t know unless you look closely. It’s like Clark Kent, except that he doesn’t need to don a cape to showcase his superpowers. I’ve just bought a pair of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for myself, with my choice being the pair with the transition lenses. Despite being late to the party, I think this is a useful device to have. More importantly, the XR ecosystem is poised to grow in a big way, and with brands like Qualcomm being in the driver’s seat, things are looking quite promising. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
With inputs from Navkendar Singh (IDC), Varun Krishnan (FoneArena), Tushar Kanwar (Tech Columnist), and Nikhil Chawla (The Unbiased Blog)
