Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses review: ‘Next level’ high tech specs
Like something straight out of a movie, Meta’s latest gadget could change everything.
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From Ethan Hunt’s spy glasses in Mission Impossible, to James Bond’s savvy shades in the 007 films, glasses-asa-gadget have been capturing our imaginations for decades.
This kind of wearable tech has now jumped from the screen and into the hands of the everyday person, like Meta’s Ray-Ban Wayfarer Smart Glasses.
Not just an ordinary pair of glasses, they can record and livestream video, take calls, play music and send text messages, and that’s just the beginning.
I’ve had my hands on these for over a month now and the features are nothing short of astounding.
Read on for my full review of the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses.
HONEST REVIEW OF THE META RAY BAN SMART GLASSES
Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses, from $449 at Amazon Australia
Tried and Tested by Troy Nankervis, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
Other than a smartphone, I’m struggling to think of another product that covers as many different bases as these Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses.
Blending technology and style, these glasses are a powerhouse - honestly. They can perform many of the same tasks as Apple’s Siri.
After saying “Hey Meta”, and then following with a prompt or instruction, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses instantly breathe to life, capturing photos and videos, playing music and podcasts, taking and receiving phone calls, setting timers, and identifying your surroundings.
First launched overseas in 2023, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses hit Australia in late 2024 and, while they tease the future possibilities of artificial intelligence, they’re already making their mark with shoppers, who are loving their style, quality and features.
After launching overseas in 2023, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses arrived in Australia in late 2024. Combining style, quality, and innovative features, they’re already gaining popularity with shoppers.
“I’m a huge tech lover, always on the hunt for the coolest gadgets, and these Ray-Ban smart sunglasses are next-level epic! I’m obsessed with how stylish and functional they are — the perfect blend of fashion and tech,” wrote one online reviewer.
Another added: “On opening the box, Ray-Ban’s quality really shines through, with perfect finishes and high quality materials throughout. Although the glasses need to hold the speakers, cameras and microphones, at a glance you would never know the difference between a standard Wayfarer and the Meta Smart Wayfarer.”
HOW WE TESTED THE META RAY BAN SMART GLASSES
At news.com.au, we focus on hands-on testing to help you make informed shopping decisions. Over the past month, I’ve been putting the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses to the test, assessing their design, performance, price, and warranty. In addition, our team reviews consumer feedback, product manuals, and industry news to ensure we’re always bringing you honest reviews and the best deals.
FULL REVIEW OF THE META RAY BAN SMART GLASSES
- Unboxing
- Design
- Performance & Features
- Privacy
- Camera
- Audio
- Battery
- Warranty
- Price
- Verdict: Should you buy the Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses?
UNBOXING
Unboxing the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarers gives you the same ‘wow factor’ as opening an Apple or Samsung product, and the setup process takes around 10 minutes. Inside the eco-friendly packaging, you’ll find the glasses, a charging case, a cleaning cloth, and a reference guide. There’s also a QR code that directs you to download the ‘Meta View’ app, which is essential for managing the settings and features of the glasses. Without it, the glasses are basically unusable. You’ll need a smartphone (Android 10 or above, or iPhone 10 with iOS 14.4 or above), a Wi-Fi connection, your own USB-C charging cable, and a valid Meta account. I think it’s a bit of a misstep to leave out the USB-C cable, as it’s likely to annoy some shoppers. While most of us probably have one lying around, I personally prefer having everything I need right from the start.
DESIGN
Oozing cool, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are styled in the popular, classic Wayfarer look, a staple design that’s been around since the 1950s, and popularised by Hollywood.
Before we get into the broader tech features, I really like that you can personalise and customise the frames and lenses with a few different options.
The frames come in a number of different colours (including Matte Black, Shiny Black, Matte Jeans or Shiny Caramel) and you can choose between clear glasses or polarised lens sunglasses.
There’s some different Ray-Ban frame options including the Wayfarer, Headliner and Skyler.
Additionally, you can fit out your glasses with prescription lenses, transition lenses or sun lenses, and these costs will change depending on the style of lens, and retailer pricing.
For the purpose of this review, we’ll consider the standard model of the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses in Shiny Black, with clear lenses, which retails for $449.
Weighing just 49 grams, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses are about the same weight as a typical pair of sunglasses, and they feel great both in hand and when worn. At first glance, you wouldn’t even know they’re smart glasses.
The charging case follows suit, looking like any regular glasses case, with the exception of a discreet USB-C charging port on the base and a magnetic clip in the centre that glows to show the battery status when you remove the glasses.
After wearing them for extended periods, I did notice my eyes felt a little sore, but that’s likely because I usually wear prescription reading glasses. If I were to use the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses long-term, I’d definitely go for prescription lenses – especially for activities like reading and writing. I’d also love to try them out as sunglasses.
The Meta View app is designed to work seamlessly with the glasses, letting you import, view, share, and auto-correct your photos and videos. It’s intuitive, with a sleek design and easy-to-navigate layout. You can also create custom voice commands and download software updates, making it all very user-friendly without feeling clunky.
PERFORMANCE & FEATURES
A big selling point for the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses is the integration of technology with your regular day-to-day.
The glasses use voice commands to perform a number of helpful functions.
When you put them on, you’ll hear a little notification sound to confirm they’re switched on and you’re pretty much ready to go.
Say “Hey Meta” and you’ll be able to instantly capture videos and take photos, make calls, send messages, and listen to music. The speed of the A-I is pretty good, actually on par, if not a little bit better than Siri, in terms of its response time and accuracy.
A really impressive feature is its ability to identify your surroundings. I tried them out at a local nature reserve near my family home, and the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses could identify elements in the environment with great accuracy.
You can also use the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses to make phone calls, send text messages and livestream what you’re seeing to social media.
For me personally, all these features carry high levels of novelty, and I probably wouldn’t integrate them fully into my day to day at this point. I could, however, see myself using them if I was riding my bike or driving, and didn’t want to reach for my phone.
If you have the location settings set up correctly, you’re also able to check things like the weather forecast. I like that you could also set a timer, which is helpful if you’re on a deadline at work, or doing interval training while running or exercising.
Some of the other AI features of the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses are still coming to the Australian market, such as its translation capabilities, and more advanced features like summarising a food menu or asking it to remember where you parked your car.
PRIVACY
There have been questions raised about privacy issues when using the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses, including its potential for misuse with things like facial recognition technologies and whether or not others know that they’re being recorded.
Despite a little glowing LED light to indicate when the smart glasses are recording, unless you mention it, I’d safely assume most people would not clock that they’re potentially being photographed, filmed or livestreamed.
Clearly, this raises a few ethical questions around consent. If you’re out using the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses around people or large crowds, use common sense and ask permission.
CAMERA
I’m really blown away by the performance of the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses when it comes to capturing photos and videos.
With these smart glasses, you can’t go wrong with a ultra-wide 12MP camera, that records in HD too.
Most of the images are generally clear and sharp, and the video quality is also great, however, like some of the other reviews I’ve come across, I found that it suffers a little in low light.
I was visiting a local creek near my family home and took both photos and videos of my surroundings, during full sunlight in the late afternoon.
While it did not quite deliver the quality of Apple’s latest iPhone 16 Pro camera, the detail in these photos definitely held their own, and would be perfectly suitable to share across your social media channels. Coincidentally, the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses are made with social media content creation in mind.
I really liked that you can also use voice commands to take images hands-free, although this feature was unable to tweak certain image elements like the zoom, the brightness and the contrast. I imagine that in coming updates to the software, some of these features might be integrated.
AUDIO
The audio quality of these glasses is surprisingly excellent, and I’m talking right across the board, for both playing music and making phone calls.
These glasses make phone calls with crystal clear audio, and I experienced no lag or connection issues.
Interestingly, the people I was speaking with didn’t realise I was using the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses instead of talking from my handset.
The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses can also play music and podcasts without a hitch, and I like that you can still hear the outside environment, especially for the safety factor if I am commuting to or from work or riding my bike out on the road.
There’s also a touchpad on the glasses which lets you play and pause, swipe for volume, and get straight to playing your music.
The Spotify Tap integration lets you change your music selection by holding down on the side of the glasses. All some very nice touches, pardon the pun.
One thing I did notice is that currently, the glasses can’t handle more advanced requests, such as playing a particular song or Spotify or podcast episode – you need to already have this queued from your phone, but it’s honestly not a deal-breaker.
BATTERY
The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses are rechargeable, and with up to 4 hours of battery life with single charge, and up to 36 hours with fully charged case.
There’s also a fast-charge feature which is impressive, only taking 22 minutes to get to 50 per cent charge.
WARRANTY
The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses feature a 12 month warranty.
There’s also a 30-day money back guarantee if you decide they’re not for you.
PRICE
For all the great features, the price is predictably high.
The Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses start at $449 on Amazon Australia.
You can also purchase the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses direct from Meta, The Sunglass Hut, or Ray-Ban Australia.
VERDICT: SHOULD YOU BUY THE META RAY BAN SMART GLASSES?
Australia’s tech landscape is changing fast, and the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses are a perfect example of where things currently are, and what’s to come.
I’d personally get some great value and regular use from these AI smart glasses, especially if I used them as sunglasses, and I really liked the ability to make phone calls, play music, and capture video content at complete ease.
All big ticks from a product perspective.
Starting at $449, they’re not cheap, and I can see this pricing may turn off people.
More Coverage
If you’re after some glasses that not only look great, but have many excellent features, you’ll be on to a winner with the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses.
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*This product was provided by Meta for a 100 per cent independent, honest review.
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