Unboxing the NEW RayBan Meta Sunglasses
Hello tech enthusiasts!
If you’re anything like me, getting your hands on the latest tech gets you as excited as a kid at Christmas. Today, I want to share my excitement over my newest addition to my daily wearable tech - the RayBan Meta sunglasses. If you're a geek like me, love photography, videography, or live streaming, you'll love what these smart glasses bring to the table.
These aren’t your standard sunglasses - think Bluetooth capabilities with built-in video cameras, hands-free control, and the ability to livestream! Yes, you read it right, LIVESTREAM.
Their tag line on the packaging is “Listen. Call. Livestream” Meta launched the newest pair in October 2023 and you can read all about the tech improvements here.
Packaging
First off, huge props to Meta for converting to all paper packaging and for the creative packaging design. What’s inside the box? Smart Glasses, glasses case that acts as a charger for the glasses, a cleaning cloth, and the paperwork (Getting started pamphlet, warranty booklet, and QR code for a list of participating locations that can convert your glasses to include prescription lenses. The box itself also has a QR code printed on it for downloading the View app that you need on your phone for syncing the media you capture on the glasses with your phone.
Glasses Case
Once I opened the box, I was greeted with a classic looking beige coloured RayBan case that is significantly slimmer than the previous Meta RayBan Stories V1 glasses case. The old case was a large round black pill shaped vessel that never fit nicely into a small purse, was heavy, and less convenient to take everywhere with me. The new case looks identical to a regular sunglasses case and is a hugely welcomed upgrade.
Another great feature on the new case is the closure clasp doubling as a battery indicator. It lights up green when the battery is full, and lights up orange when it needs a charge.
One thing missing from “in the box” is a charging cable. It uses USB-C, but does not come with a wall plug or a USB-C charging cable.
RayBan Meta Sunglasses
The glasses themselves carried a familiar feel, but with a few exciting upgrades. I got the classic Wayfarer frame style, but this time I decided to go with polarized lenses. That was my only regret on my original pair when I saved a little money and went for regular frames.
The glasses are thoughtfully built with cameras on the front of the frame, a power button conveniently located inside the arm, and a prominent LED light that shows others when you are recording. The brightness of the LED indicator on the front when recording is much brighter and more obvious than the previous version. That will hopefully help calm some peoples’ concerns about being recorded without their knowledge.
The camera on the new glasses has had a serious upgrade from 5 megapixels to 12!! Here is a rundown on the tech specs improvements:
RayBan Stories | RayBan Meta |
|---|---|
5MP Camera | 12MP Camera |
720 Video Resolution | 1080 Video Resolution |
4GB Storage | 32GB Storage |
1:1 Aspect Ratio Capture | 4:3 Aspect Ratio Capture |
3 mics with stereo recording | 5 mics with immersive audio recording; 50% louder and 2x the bass |
195 gr charging case weight | 133 gr charging case weight |
Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
Cell | Water Resistant |
Cell | Livestream up to 30min |
Cell | Built-in AI |
RayBan Stories |
|---|
5MP Camera |
720 Video Resolution |
4GB Storage |
1:1 Aspect Ratio Capture |
3 mics with stereo recording |
195 gr charging case weight |
Bluetooth 5.0 |
Cell |
Cell |
Cell |
RayBan Meta |
|---|
12MP Camera |
1080 Video Resolution |
32GB Storage |
4:3 Aspect Ratio Capture |
5 mics with immersive audio recording; 50% louder and 2x the bass |
133 gr charging case weight |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Water Resistant |
Livestream up to 30min |
Built-in AI |
RayBan Stories
5MP Camera
720 Video Resolution
4GB Storage
1:1 Aspect Ratio Capture
3 mics with stereo recording
195 gr charging case weight
Bluetooth 5.0
RayBan Meta
12MP Camera
1080 Video Resolution
32GB Storage
4:3 Aspect Ratio Capture
5 mics with immersive audio recording; 50% louder and 2x the bass
133 gr charging case weight
Water Resistant
Livestream up to 30min
Built-in AI
These are noticeable improvements and I am thrilled with them!
To take video, you simply press and hold the shutter button on the top right corner of the sunglasses and it will capture up to 1 minute of video. You can change the default settings to capture 1 minute, 30 seconds, or 15 second clips at a time. If you want to take a picture instead, just tap the shutter button once. These controls are reversed compared to the previous pair, but you can customize the controls using the Meta View App.
Hands Free Video and Image Capture
What truly makes RayBan Meta glasses special is that you can activate the video or image capture hands-free just by saying “Hey Meta, take a video”, or “Hey Meta, take a picture.”
Why is this so significant? I’ll give you an example. I was deep sea fishing with my family on vacation in the Bahamas and when a fish got on the line, I needed both hands to hold the rod and reel it in! Having the ability to voice activate my glasses and capture the excitement of the moment was worth its weight in gold!!
More hands-free examples: being able to capture my golf drive off the tee; Snowboarding without having to take my mitts off; capturing the stunning mountain sunset on my drive without taking my hands off the wheel.
I captured all of these with my first generation RayBan Stories sunglasses. I can’t wait to see what I’ll capture with my new upgraded pair of RayBan Meta sunglasses!
Meta View App
Pairing the glasses with my phone was a breeze using the Meta View app. You can download it for Apple here and Android here. The app even communicates which version to pair with - whether it's the latest RayBan Meta or its predecessor, RayBan Stories. Once paired, it's all systems go! You can record videos, snap photos, and do all this hands-free through voice control – just say "Hey, Meta..." and command away!
And here's the fun part - these glasses can capture your remarkable moments without you needing to whip out your phone every time. For a spontaneous, content-loving individual, there's nothing better than having your video-recording sunglasses ready to capture and automatically sync clips straight to your phone.
Aspect Ratio
The previous original glasses captured images and video in a 1:1 (square) ratio. The NEW RayBan Meta Glasses capture in a 4:3 ratio which will be so much easier to use for repurposing into portrait or landscape use. I am so excited about this improvement! I need to check to see if this improvement is tied to the way the app functions or unique to the glasses themselves. Check back for updates.
I've blurred out my messy background in this screenshot
Sharing Options
In addition to saving the media to your camera roll, when viewing your media inside the Meta View app, you can share it directly to
- Instagram stories
- Facebook stories
- WhatsApp
- Messenger
- Instagram Reels
- Facebook Reels
- Instagram Post
- Facebook Post
And let me tell you, this is extremely convenient as a content creator! It cuts out a lot of steps and makes it easy to share on the spot. So not only am I more inclined to be present in the moment while capturing my content, but I can seamlessly share it on the go without adding tasks or to do’s to my day. That’s a win!
Messaging and Phone Calls
You can send and receive phone calls and messages from your phone, WhatsApp and Messenger. It’s easy! You can choose which ones you want to set up, and you can also choose if you only want to be notified of incoming messages or if you also want your glasses to read you the message. Keep in mind the audio on the glasses is easy for you to hear but hard for those around you to hear so I wouldn’t hesitate to have it read messages or play music while in the company of others.
Music & Audio
Woah woah woah!! They made some serious improvements to the audio quality in the newest pair of RayBan Meta glasses compared to the previous model. It is noticeable. I can play any music or audio via bluetooth from my phone. Spotify is built in so if you have Spotify account you can connect to it. I personally use YouTube music as my go-to music app so I choose not to use the Spotify integration.
Live Streaming Capabilities
And the best kept secret about these? The livestream feature! Completely game-changing! Just imagine starting a livestream on your phone then switching the view to your glasses. Your audience gets to see the world through your eyes, quite literally. Now, that's a game changer if you ask me!
First of all, don’t worry about accidentally live streaming something without realizing it. You have to intentionally set up a livestream on your phone and choose your glasses as the source.
How To Live Stream using the Meta RayBan Smart Glasses according to Meta:
To start a livestream:
- 1Ensure your glasses are powered on and connected to the Meta View app.
- 2On your phone, open Facebook or Instagram
- 3Tap +
- 4Tap Live.
- 5Tap Video, then tap Next.
- 6Tap the sunglasses symbol on the left to connect to your glasses. (This appears when your glasses are on and connected to your phone)
- 7On your glasses, double-press the capture button to switch to your glasses camera.
- 8Tap Go Live to start your livestream.
Note: You can switch between cameras at any time, before or during a live video, by double-pressing the capture button on your glasses.
AI Features
Meta AI features will be available in the US in beta only at launch. Here is an example of a conversation I had with my glasses:
Me: “Hey Meta, what time is it?”
Meta: “It’s 2:08 in the afternoon”
Me: “Hey Meta, send a message to Jenn Herman”
Meta: “Ok, Jenn Herman on your phone. What’s the message?”
Me: “Happy Birthday”
Meta: “Ok, message to Jenn Herman on your phone says “Happy Birthday.” Ready to send?
Me: “Yes”
Meta: “Sending Message”
You can talk to your glasses and use the built in AI features. It is a fairly basic function at the moment but I would expect that we can see a lot of rapid improvements with updates to the AI as it continues to evolve. This is an exciting new feature!
Summary
Having extensively used the previous model, the RayBan Stories, in all sorts of situations, from road trips to snowboarding experiences, camping adventures, and roller-coaster rides, these glasses have been far from a novelty. They've been my constant travel companion, capturing on-the-go content while seamlessly fitting into my everyday accessories. The new Meta version, with its ability to livestream, is a huge step up, and I can't wait to put it through its paces on my upcoming trips.
Just a word of advice - if you're teetering on the edge of deciding whether to invest in these glasses, I would happily nudge you over. I’ll be your enabler. If you’re looking for more convincing, read this article “Are Facebook RayBan Stories Sunglasses Worth Buying?”
Technology is a thrilling ride, and devices like these revolutionize the way we tell our stories. Besides, who can resist the fusion of style, technology and convenience, all rolled into one chic pair of shades? Not me, that's for sure!
Can't wait to bring you more insights on these amazing glasses and compare them exhaustively with their predecessor. Stay tuned for more tech adventures with me!
About The Author
Amanda Robinson is a Meta Certified Lead Trainer and the Founder and CEO of The Digital Gal Inc., a globally recognized brand specializing in paid digital advertising. Amanda is an international speaker, consultant, and educator known for her expertise in Facebook advertising, AR/VR, and the Metaverse. Amanda is a Certified XR designer. She is a published author of the Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing through Entrepreneur Press and is regularly featured as a guest on media-related podcasts. She has taught over 1,000 business owners and entrepreneurs how to manage their own Facebook Advertising. Amanda is a Member of Agroapulse’s Social Media Advisory Board, composed of the top industry influencers and agency owners around the world. Have questions about Facebook advertising? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
