As someone who frequently wears contact lenses but doesn’t use my prescription glasses most days of the week, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses with see-through (but not prescription) lenses don’t make much sense to me. I think having transition lenses could make an expensive pair of glasses useful in more situations, but I generally preferred the sunglasses form factor because it fit better for situations when I wanted to reach for a pair of smart glasses.
That said, I always wonder if I would feel differently if I had my own recipe in a pairing. After wearing the Ray-Ban Meta Optics as my primary glasses for two weeks, I’m starting to see the attraction. The glasses are similar to the second-generation frames, but have a few upgrades that make them easier and more comfortable to wear all day.
One problem I have with almost every pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses is that the slightly oversized frames slide down my nose. With the Optics lineup, Meta made the internal nosepads swappable so you can get a more secure fit. I swapped out the “universal fit” pads that came out of the box for “high bridge” pads and immediately noticed less slippage. It also includes a low bridge option if you need it.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
The “Scriber” style frames I tested were still oversized, but they stayed on my face better than the Gen 2 Wayfarers I tested last year. The tips of the glasses can also be molded (at a Meta store or optician’s office) so you can get an even more precise fit, although I haven’t done this with my pair. I found that the overextension hinge helped a lot with overall comfort, and I had no problems with the glasses pressing uncomfortably around my ears, as I do with many other frames.
I also appreciated that the frame styles felt a little more subtle than previous versions. The “Scriber” frames I tested were still larger than the glasses I’d typically choose for myself, but the color scheme seemed more natural than the bright colors or super-dark styles present in Meta’s other lines. Several people told me they didn’t realize I was wearing smart glasses instead of “regular” Ray-Ban frames.
The Meta also has slightly improved battery life compared to other Gen 2 glasses. While the older Gen 2 models get “up to 8 hours” of battery life, the Blazer and Scriber Frame are rated for “more than 8 hours,” according to Meta. In general battery life depends on what you are doing, some features will drain it much faster. But I found that I was easily able to wear my Scriber Frame for over 8 hours without charging. This is accompanied by intermittent audio from open-ear speakers and occasional use of Meta AI.
Karissa Bell for Engadget
The other big change with the Optics line is the addition of an Action Button, a customizable button that acts as a shortcut to frequently used commands. This feature first debuted on Oakley Meta Vanguard sunglasses, which had a button on the bottom of the frame. On Optix-branded glasses, it’s now a small extra button at the end of the main capture controls.
When I reviewed Vanguard Shaders I never really arrived at an “ideal” use case for the buttons. But after some more time with my latest frame, I think I’ve found the best setup. I use the “Custom Prompt” setting (you can adjust this in the Meta AI app) to “read your latest text message.”
This is ideal because while I appreciate that my Glasses can announce when I get an incoming text (much like Siri will do with AirPods), I don’t always want the Meta AI to start reading them by default. If I’m in the middle of a conversation or concentrating on a task this can be extremely disruptive. But with the action button, I can just give it a quick push to listen to my messages, without needing to say “Hey Meta.” It’s more subtle than glancing at my phone.
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