Imagine: you put on your Ray-Ban Wayfarers, an icon of style, and boom, you are equipped with a camera, microphones, speakers, and an AI assistant, all without looking like an alien. The Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarer is the unexpected meeting point between timeless chic and cutting-edge technology. After several months of living with these connected glasses, I share my thoughts on these extraordinary glasses.
Unboxing the Meta Ray-Ban Connected Glasses
The packaging sets the tone: minimalist, elegant, effective. You can see the Ray-Ban touch, with a simple box proudly displaying the logos of both partners.
Upon opening, the glasses are there, snugly fitted in their hard case covered in faux brown leather (the kind of item you love to show off on a café table).
But the case is not just for looks: it can recharge the glasses up to eight times and displays the battery level using a subtle LED. Convenient, right?
The case looks just like the traditional cases of the brand, but with a bit of embedded technology and a USB-C port for recharging.
You also find a microfiber cloth and a small startup guide, but nothing excessive.
In terms of design, the magic happens: it's hard to distinguish these connected Wayfarers from a classic pair.
The arms are a little thicker to accommodate the embedded electronics, but nothing shocking—especially in an age where thick frames are trendy.
The finishes are impeccable, with several colors available and the ability to adjust the lenses to your vision, including progressives. A small detail that matters: compatibility with most opticians for mounting corrective lenses. However, be careful, not all are equipped to handle this type of frame, it's better to go through a Ray-Ban partner optician to avoid unpleasant surprises.
These glasses are also available with “transition” lenses, which darken in sunlight, making them “automatic” sunglasses.
For purists, it’s a true delight: we remain in the Ray-Ban DNA, with a geek touch added.
Because these are indeed connected glasses. Under the arms, you can distinguish small speakers, positioned right in front of the ears to enjoy sound without obstructing them, as well as microphones to listen to our voice commands.
On the underside, you can see the connectors for recharging:
They will find their natural position when you put the glasses back in their case:
But above all, the camera hidden in the front frame:
If it remains very discreet, it will not allow for taking photos in complete discretion, as on the opposite side is a small LED that will light up white when taking a photo or filming. A way to warn people around us to preserve their privacy. And don’t think you can cover this small LED: the glasses come with a sensor that prevents photography if the LED is covered :p
Configuring the Meta Ray-Bans
Getting started with these connected Meta Ray-Ban glasses takes only a few minutes. A QR code takes you to the Meta AI app (formerly Meta View), which guides the pairing of the glasses with your smartphone.
A small demonstration of the functionalities is provided, to quickly get a handle on these glasses.
The app is intuitive, offers options for customizing touch gestures, automatic synchronization of photos/videos, and even usage tips (useful to avoid blunders in public).
The Meta Ray-Ban glasses activate automatically as soon as you put them on your nose. Three interaction modes are proposed: voice (with the Meta AI assistant), a physical button on the right arm (for photos/videos), and a touch area to control music, volume, or take a call.
No need to pull out your phone at every opportunity; everything happens with a gesture or a well-placed “Hey Meta.”
You quickly get used to the controls, which turn out to be very intuitive.
In Use: When Technology Fades Away for Daily Life
It's hard not to be charmed by the versatility of these Meta Ray-Ban glasses. You start with the most impressive function: capturing photos and videos from a first-person perspective. A press of the button, and bam, the 12-megapixel camera captures the moment, with a white LED lighting up to alert those around (perfect for reassuring privacy-conscious people). Videos are limited to 3 minutes, which is more than enough to share a moment on Instagram or WhatsApp, especially since sharing happens in a blink, without touching the phone.
In terms of image quality, the rendering is very good in full light, with surprisingly effective stabilization for such a small sensor. In low light, it struggles a bit, but nothing prohibitive for everyday use.
Special mention for taking photos at the beach or while out and about, without having to pull out your smartphone (and risk dropping it in the sand or water!). What I particularly appreciate is the immersion of the videos: you see exactly what the wearer of the glasses sees. It's great for shareable videos, but also for video conversations via WhatsApp when you want to share what you're experiencing with your partner on the other side of the world, for example.
Here’s an example during my trip to Las Vegas earlier this year for CES, where I took some videos while strolling on the Strip:
One point to note: the videos are limited to portrait mode, and you will need to crop for social networks that prefer other formats. But these glasses were specifically created for filming stories in this format…
The audio isn’t left out: five microphones and two speakers deliver clear sound, sufficient for listening to music, a podcast, or making a call without isolating yourself from the world. Ideal for bike or scooter rides, where headphones are to be avoided for safety reasons. Calls are surprisingly clear, even amid the noise of the Paris ring road (tested and approved!), and the surrounding people hardly hear anything. I actually use the same trick as with the Amazon Echo Frames 380 that I showed you, using Voice Notify to have my notifications read aloud (especially Home Assistant messages).
The touch controls are intuitive: a tap to pause, a swipe to adjust the volume, and the glasses pause automatically if you take them off. Comfort is present, even after several hours, despite the arms being a bit wide for fans of minimalist frames.
In everyday life, the Meta Ray-Bans fit perfectly into modern life. While out and about, they allow you to capture spontaneous moments without pulling out your phone—perfect for parents who want to immortalize a life scene without missing the moment. During professional trips, they transform into an ultra-discreet hands-free kit: calls, notifications, reading WhatsApp or Messenger messages, everything is done by voice or gesture, without ever taking your eyes off your surroundings.
A particularly interesting function, recently added via an update, is live translation: just say “Hey Meta, start simultaneous translation,” and boom, everything you hear is instantly translated orally into your ears. I haven't had the chance to travel abroad since this update was released, but I had fun watching some YouTube videos and foreign news channels, and the translation is quite impressive. For now, only English, Spanish, and Italian can be translated into French. But that's just the beginning! An important detail: the translation dictionary is downloaded directly into the glasses, enabling you to get translations even if there's an internet outage.
To converse with your contact, however, you'll need to show them your smartphone screen: you say in French what you want to tell them, and the app translates that into text in your interlocutor's language. This video illustrates how it works:
This is a truly interesting feature, allowing you to break down language barriers!
For content creators, it’s also a formidable tool: live Instagram or Facebook in POV, immersive videos, instant sharing… A simple command “Hey Meta, send a photo to Instagram,” and what you see is instantly posted. These glasses have actually encountered tremendous success among such users. Athletes will also appreciate the ability to listen to music without cutting themselves off from the world or filming a biking session without the hassle of a GoPro.
One detail that matters: the automatic synchronization of photos and videos with the phone as soon as you return home or place the glasses back in their case. No more hassle with manual transfers; everything is smooth and transparent, as they can connect directly via Wi-Fi.
Meta AI: A Promising Assistant… But Limited in France
These connected Meta Ray-Ban glasses also contain the Meta AI voice assistant, based on the Llama model, which proves surprisingly relevant. You can ask it for the weather, the price of Bitcoin, information for an article, or even to translate a sentence. The response time is quick, and exchanges are logged in the app for easy tracking.
In the United States, the AI goes much further: real-time visual analysis, which allows, for example, automatically writing a caption to post with your Instagram photo, suggesting recipes with what you have in the fridge, memorizing the location of your car… Another example given by Meta:
“You're preparing dinner and you don't have as much butter as you thought? Ask Meta AI to see if there's a substitute based on what it sees in your pantry or refrigerator. You can also ask Meta AI which wine from your cellar pairs best with the meal. You can speak as you normally would without needing to say ‘Hey, Meta' each time. And Meta AI will respond back for a smooth and natural experience.”
We're flirting with science fiction!
Unfortunately, in Europe, regulations still block access to multimodal AI functions (image analysis, instant translation, etc.), although Meta promises that these will arrive soon. Some functions have just been unlocked in the United Kingdom. It's only a matter of time before they arrive in France. For the most impatient, there are tricks (VPN, switching to English) to activate certain functions, but nothing official for now.
Battery Life and Charging: Adequate but Could Be Improved
With an announced battery life of 4 to 5 hours in mixed usage, the Meta Ray-Ban glasses last half a day without issue. The charging case more than compensates, allowing you to last the day with a recharging break at noon. That’s what I often do when I’m traveling to a trade show or on a sightseeing tour. I take advantage of the lunch break to recharge them in their case (which of course, you need to remember to bring along). In 20 minutes, you can recover 50% battery, which saves the day during busy times. It’s not yet perfect for adventurers, but for urban use, it’s more than sufficient.
Conclusion: A True Technological Favorite
Not everything is perfect, of course. The battery life remains below a full day without recharging, especially if you abuse video or audio. The advanced AI features are still absent in France, and managing calls or messages can sometimes be a bit temperamental, especially in French.
The price is not insignificant either: starting at €329 for the frame, to which you must add the cost of corrective lenses if needed (expect up to €800 for a complete pair with progressive lenses and high-end treatments). But good news, insurance can sometimes cover part of the lenses, and the perceived quality is certainly there.
Despite this, it's hard not to recommend the Meta Ray-Ban Wayfarers to everyone who wants to combine style and connected features without sacrificing comfort or elegance. Far from being a gadget reserved for geeks, these glasses integrate with surprising discretion into everyday life. Certainly, there is still room for improvement in AI and battery life, but the promise is already being kept: enrich reality without cluttering it and give a taste of the future, right here and now, on the tip of your nose. And Meta is betting heavily on these glasses, working tirelessly for the arrival of all features, especially in France. Personally, I love them!
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