Meet Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses

Smart glasses have always been portrayed in media as something people wear in the far future. Thanks to Meta, it looks like the future is now! Meta has collaborated with the eyewear brand Ray-Ban to release a series of smart glasses with AI capabilities, video calling support, and much more.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently shared an Instagram reel showcasing the glasses’ new cat-eye frame style and video calling functionality. You can also use the glasses to make phone calls to friends and family via Whatsapp and Messenger. However, since this feature is being released more gradually, Meta’s blog warns that you might not see it right away.

In addition, multimodal AI can now be used with the camera. You can do things like ask Meta’s AI to analyse a picture taken by the camera to get more context. Simply saying “Hey Meta, look and…” and then giving a command will prompt the AI to analyze what the camera sees and offer perceptive comments or recommendations.After being tested towards the end of the previous year, this is now being made available in beta form to all US and Canadian users.

“Say you’re traveling and trying to read a menu in French. Your smart glasses can use their built-in camera and Meta AI to translate the text for you, giving you the info you need without having to pull out your phone or stare at a screen,” reads Meta’s blog post about the smart glasses.

The Ray-Ban Smart Glasses also come in new colour and style options just in time for summer. The low bridge options for the Headliner frames guarantee an ergonomic fit for people with narrow nose bridges, while the sleek Skyler frames have a flattering cat-eye silhouette. Users can visit the Ray-Ban remix platform, where you can combine hundreds of lens and frame combinations.

Another feature that is not mentioned in the blog post is Apple Music compatibility. The feature has appeared in the Meta View app which connects to the glasses. You can play any song, playlist, artist, or station on Apple Music hands-free, according to the instructions. Recommendations based on your past listening activities are also available.