Throughout its Join keynote on 27 September 2023, Meta introduced the follow-up to Ray-Ban Tales. Launched again in 2021, Tales had been a primary step into the world of good glasses.
It appears that evidently two years on, not rather a lot has modified. The identify has: as an alternative of being known as Tales 2, the second-gen specs are known as Ray-Ban Meta, however the glasses themselves are a lot the identical as earlier than, even when there’s a brand new body fashion on supply.
I don’t learn about you, however I’m not bought on the concept of good glasses but. At the least, not the Ray-Ban Meta type. Clearly we’re nonetheless a great distance from with the ability to pack augmented actuality into frames that feel and look like common glasses, and so the Ray-Ban Meta doesn’t supply that.
Just like the Tales, what you get with the Meta is a built-in digital camera (now upgraded from 5- to 12-megapixels), built-in audio system and an array of microphones. The thought, as earlier than, is that the glasses are your headphones for listening to music and a hands-free possibility for making and receiving calls.
Jim Martin / Foundry
There’s voice recognition so you may take pictures and file movies with out utilizing your arms (or cellphone) and faucet and swipe gestures to regulate quantity and management music playback.
Meta says the audio system are 50% louder with higher bass, the additional two mics enhance readability to your personal voice when speaking on the cellphone and for recording spatial audio in movies.
Jim Martin / Foundry
The charging case has been redesigned to appear like a standard Ray-Ban case, and the recording LED on the glasses is bigger and far simpler for different folks to see. There are even little rubber nostril pads to assist cease the glasses sliding down your nostril once you tilt your head down.
However is it sufficient?
On the similar worth as earlier than – £299 / $299 and accessible to pre-order instantly – they’re not precisely low cost. And whilst you’re paying a premium as a result of they’re Ray-Bans, they’re nonetheless fairly chunky and, extra importantly, noticeably heavier than common glasses.
The large draw is that it’s simple and handy to file video and take pictures of moments that you just’d both miss as a result of they’re over too shortly, or since you’ve acquired your arms full.
Jim Martin / Foundry
The portrait side ratio is designed for social media, although, not your TV and Meta is pushing the ‘creator’ angle pretty laborious. In my hands-on demo, the corporate confirmed present it’s potential to livestream to Instagram or Fb from the digital camera within the glasses, in addition to switching between it and the entrance digital camera of your cellphone.
I used to be suitably impressed by the standard of video from the upgraded digital camera, however the audio nonetheless sounded tinny. I favor to hearken to music at top quality, in order that simply leaves cellphone calls, pictures and movies.
Possibly I’m not the goal market, or perhaps I’m too demanding: present me a pair of good glasses which are snug but can present me satnav instructions whereas I stroll or cycle and I’d get my pockets out.
However now, even in 2023, we appear no nearer to that actuality than we did a decade in the past with Google Glass.
