My Review of the Ray-Ban Metas

"No, I am not recording you right now." That's always my first response once someone notices I'm wearing the Ray-Ban Metas (version 1). If having that conversation with every person you meet is enough to keep you from buying a pair, read no further and wait a few years until they're normalized.

I picked up a pair a little over a year ago because I needed a new pair of sunglasses anyway. I figured, why not spend the extra money and see how this new technology worked? In my mind, I had one main reason to buy them: I want to listen to music everywhere I go, and these could fill in when headphones weren't an option. As I studied the features, I came up with a quick ranking of what I thought I'd actually use:

• Listening to music

• Making phone calls

• Taking pictures

• Listening to audiobooks/podcasts

• Taking videos

• Using the "Siri"-type AI features

I started using the Meta glasses right away, but found myself only turning them on when I actually wanted a specific feature. That selective use kept the battery from being an issue — the glasses themselves only run about 4 hours on a charge, though the case holds enough to recharge them up to eight times before you need to plug in again.

I should also mention: I'm overly sensitive to EMFs. An Apple Watch makes my wrist heat up, for example, though I never notice anything from my AirPods. With the Ray-Bans, I could immediately tell they were turned on — I could feel it in my head. Before using them extensively, I bought two products to help: one that attaches to the glasses and one that goes around your neck, both meant to counteract the frequencies. Between the two, I'd say the "noise" dropped by at least half, based on my own perception.

After actually living with them for a while, my order of use completely flipped:

• Taking video

• Making phone calls

• Taking pictures

• Using the "Hey Meta" AI features

• Listening to music

• Listening to audiobooks/podcasts

I was genuinely impressed by the video quality and the unique point of view it offers. The photos and videos turned out to be more than a gimmick — they've become real keepsakes from special moments. Playing football or wiffleball is now something I can actually capture, when before it only existed from an outside perspective.

I bought these with hopes of listening to music through them, but what I found is that my music competes with everything else around me. Walk into any mall, sporting event, or coffee shop, and they already have music playing over the speakers. Nobody wants to clash songs with the room, so that use case rarely comes up. They work well for riding a bike or walking alone, but the moment you're walking with your spouse and enjoying the quiet, or having a conversation, music becomes a distraction rather than a feature.

I don't ask Siri much, but I found myself saying "Hey Meta..." far more naturally. One frustration: I still haven't figured out how to get it to call contacts directly from my phone, which feels like it should be simple (this may well be user error on my end). Outside of video, taking the glasses on a "walk and talk" — handling work calls while getting some fresh air — became one of my favorite uses. I might use them differently if I'd gotten the Transitions lenses, but I wanted good sunglasses first, and for that I always go polarized.

The live translation feature has also become a genuine highlight for travel. As long as you've got a decent signal, it works well — enough that it's moved near the top of my list.

On the software side, the Meta app has gotten cluttered now that they've folded in an AI image/social feed. I'd love an app that's just for the glasses, not a mashup of whatever else Meta wants to push into it — or at least the option to turn off what I don't want to see.

The price on the original Metas has dropped now that the Gen 2s are out. From what I've seen, the Gen 2s mainly bump up battery life (roughly double, to about 8 hours) and video length, without much else that feels essential — so I don't feel like I'm missing out. In a couple of years, I'll probably be back for a new version. The jury's still out.

Update: The Battery Gave Out at 14 Months

Not long after I first wrote this, the glasses' battery corrupted at the 14-month mark. Now they'll only record one video before shutting down — the load is apparently too much for whatever's left of the battery to handle. They still make phone calls and play music just fine; video is just down to one shot before they tap out.

My best guess is that the glasses overheated sitting in my car, which is honestly where a lot of us keep our sunglasses. Since they were out of warranty, Meta offered to fix them — for $180. I passed. But credit where it's due: they do have a repair path, they just priced it high enough that I decided to live with a one-video limit instead.