As someone who usually wears contacts, but who tends to wear my prescription glasses most days of the week, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses with prescription lenses (but not prescription) didn’t make much sense to me. I find that having replacement lenses can make an expensive pair of glasses more useful in many situations, but I usually opt for sunglasses because they tend to fit better in situations where I really want to reach for a pair of smart glasses.
That said, I’ve always wondered if I would feel differently if I had my prescription in two. After wearing the Ray-Ban Meta Optics as my primary glasses for two weeks, I’m starting to see the appeal. The glasses are very similar to the second generation frames, but have a few improvements that make them lighter and more comfortable to wear all day.
One problem I’ve had with almost all Ray-Ban Meta glasses is that the oversized frames tend to slide down my nose. With the Optics system, Meta has made the internal nosepads interchangeable for a more secure fit. I swapped out the “universal fit” pads that came out of the box for the “high bridge” pads and immediately noticed less slippage. There is also a low bridge option included if you need it.
The “Writer” style frames I tested were still oversized, but they fit my face better than the Gen 2 Wayfarers I tested last year. The tips of the glasses are also adjustable (at a Meta store or optician’s office) so you can get a more precise fit, although I didn’t do this with my pair. I found that the widening hinges helped a lot with overall comfort, and I didn’t have problems with the glasses pressing uncomfortably against my ears like I do with many other frames.
I also noticed that the frame styles felt more subtle than previous versions. The “author” frames I tested were larger than my usual go-to glasses, but the color scheme felt more natural than the bolder or darker styles Meta has in other lines. I’ve had many people tell me they didn’t know I was wearing smart glasses rather than the typical “Ray-Ban” frames.
Meta also improved the battery life slightly compared to other Gen 2 glasses. While the older Gen 2 model got “up to 8 hours” of battery life, according to Meta, the Blayzer and Scriber frames are rated for “more than 8 hours.” Battery life usually depends a lot on what you are doing, some features will drain it very quickly. But I found that I could easily wear my Author frames for more than 8 hours without charging. That’s temporary noise from the headphones and the occasional use of Meta AI.
Karissa Bell for EngadgetAnother big change with the optics line is the addition of an action button, a customizable button that acts as a shortcut for frequently used commands. The feature first appeared on the Oakley Meta Vanguard sunglasses, which had a button on the bottom side of the frames. On Optics-branded glasses, it’s now an extra little button at the end of the main capture control.
When I reviewed the Vanguard shades I didn’t settle on one “perfect” button to use. But after more time with my latest frames, I think I’ve found the best setup. I use the “custom notification” setting (you can adjust it in the Meta AI app) to “read my latest text message.”
This is good because although I appreciate that my glasses can announce when I receive an incoming text (similar to how Siri will do it with AirPods), I don’t always want Meta AI to automatically start reading it. It can be very distracting when I’m in the middle of a conversation or concentrating on a task. But with the action button, I can just push it quickly to hear my texts, no need to say “Hey Meta.” Much more subtle than looking down at my phone.
