Meta has taken another step into the smart eyewear market, this time teaming up with Oakley its first smart glasses collaboration outside of the Ray-Ban brand. The result is the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses, designed with athletes and active users in mind, but also carrying a hefty price tag starting at $399, with special editions hitting $499.
If you’re familiar with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, the Oakley variant won’t feel radically different. They include the familiar features: POV camera, built-in speakers, voice assistant (Meta AI), and a discreet capture button. However, Oakley’s version ups the ante with a few performance-driven enhancements.
What’s New with Oakley Meta Smart Glasses?
- Battery Life Boost:
Expect up to 5 hours of continuous music playback and up to 48 hours of battery life from the case a significant jump from the Ray-Ban line. - Camera Upgrade:
A 12MP camera can now shoot 3K resolution video, ideal for creators wanting high-quality POV footage. However, 3K isn’t the default setting. - Design Focused on Athletics:
The glasses draw from Oakley’s HSTN frames bold, oversized, and unapologetically sporty. While that may work for cyclists and runners, it’s not exactly urban streetwear-friendly for everyone.
The Trade-Offs
- Thick & Bulky:
The frames are chunky, especially around the nosepiece, and the charging case is too large to fit comfortably in a pocket. - Awkward Styling (Subjectively):
The limited edition white-and-gold frames received mixed feedback. Some users found them too big or even “bug-like” on the face. - Camera Obstruction Issues:
Hats or loose hair can easily creep into your footage. While Meta is developing a “Media Quality Check” feature to solve this, it’s still in testing.
Performance vs. Price
Are the upgrades worth the jump from the $299 Ray-Ban Meta Glasses? That depends on your use case. The Oakley Meta Smart Glasses offer incremental improvements rather than a revolutionary leap. Athletes, creators, and Oakley loyalists may appreciate the added battery life and video quality, but the everyday user may find the extra $100+ a tough sell.
The Oakley Meta glasses don’t reinvent the wheel but they do give us a clearer sense of Meta’s broader strategy in wearables and smart AR devices. With better cameras and longer battery life, these glasses seem like a stepping stone toward full augmented reality eyewear the kind Meta has been teasing for years.
While displays and immersive AR experiences aren’t here just yet, the Oakley Meta glasses suggest that Meta is laying the hardware foundation for what’s to come. If you’re not ready to wait for the true AR revolution, this is as close as it gets right now.
Final Verdict
Oakley Meta Smart Glasses are a niche but capable evolution of Meta’s wearable tech playbook. They’re ideal for early adopters, athletes, and content creators who value performance over subtlety. But for casual users or those looking for a sleeker style at a better price, Meta’s Ray-Ban lineup may still be the smarter buy.
