If you’re late to the party the first question you may be asking is:
“What exactly do Ray-Ban smart glasses do?”
Launched by Meta in 2021 in a partnership with manufacturer EssilorLuxotica, these sunnies allow you to listen to music – earbuds free, and there are cameras on the temples to take videos and photos – just in case you’re too lazy to do it with your phone. By the way, your cell has to be within proximity to use them.
The second question is, do you really need these?
No, but they’re fun! And they’re only $299 a pop (insert sarcasm).
Anyhow, to sweeten the deal, Meta recently announced new updates to the glasses which include a better camera and audio, AI features like I wrote about last week, the ability to live stream, and in my opinion the most important thing – new designs.
Maybe I’m vain, but I think most people if they’re honest buy sunglasses that make them look hot. Just look at any dating app. You’re hard pressed to come across a profile sans shades. Some dudes never even post a single pic revealing their eyes (do chicks do the same? Weigh in if you have insight). I always swipe left on those yahoos – because what are they hiding? But I digress.
The point being, who the heck wants to buy a pair of high-tech sunglasses if they’re not hot?
To be fair, the original version came in the classic Wayfarer model (as well as the Round and Meteor styles) which is hard to beat – almost everyone looks good in those. But then again, not everyone. And if you don’t fall in that camp, you could be swayed by the fact that Meta has added more colors (including transparent ones which show the circuitry) and the Headliner frame to the 2023 launch.
If we’re not all about being vain other improvements Meta’s made on the Ray-Ban smart glasses include an update to the camera so you can take better videos and photos and the added ability to livestream up to 30 minutes to Instagram and Facebook. As reported on by CNET, the 12 megapixel cameras can record at 1080p and “the streaming feature can swap between phone camera and glasses camera with a button-click on the glasses, enabling on-the-fly dual-camera streaming.”
Meta further made their AI updates available to the new shades and upgraded the audio to include five-microphones which are “more sensitive to voice commands and can record spatial audio in video clips.”
What do you think, is this your next big purchase?
To be honest, there are some practical ways these smart glasses could come in handy to justify the price (such as wearing them to the beach and recording content at the same time). If this is your jam, version 2.0 of the Ray-Ban smart glasses was just launched on October 17 so be one of the first to get them!
Main photo credit: iStock.com/hapabapa
First photo credit: iStock.com/NeonShot
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Alyssa Collins hails from Minnesota, where snowy days were the perfect excuse to stay warm inside and write. Over the years, she turned that joy into a career and has authored numerous articles for various publications (under pen names). Email Alyssa via alyssa@ynot.com.
