I don’t miss the camera on the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses
The other day I whizzed past several people while running in the park, my playlist blasting at full volume. The next morning, I smiled at a barista while ordering a caramel apple-flavored matcha latte. Afterward, I sat on a park bench reading a book, called up a pal to chat about her recent trip to Prague, and then asked my Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses what meetings were coming up on my calendar. The chipper AI voice…
Key points
- The Verge review finds the camera-free Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses comfortable and discreet, with no one noticing them in public.
- The glasses start at $350 without prescription lenses, hearing assistance features, or the upcoming Muse AI.
- The reviewer did not miss the camera, though the lack of one only offers temporary privacy comfort.
A Verge review of the Ray-Ban Meta Audio smart glasses says the camera-free model drew no attention from dozens of people the reviewer encountered while wearing them in public. The audio-only glasses look like ordinary sunglasses, which the reviewer credits for feeling less conspicuous than camera-equipped smart glasses.
The glasses start at $350 without prescription lenses. They ship with Meta's Muse Spark AI model, while the more capable Muse AI is not yet available.
Privacy and AI features
The review notes that privacy and data opt-out disclosures were more prominent during setup than with previous Meta glasses. Visual data from AI experiences is addressed on screen, though voice data is still used, and users can opt out of sharing additional data.
The glasses have always-listening capability for the AI assistant, but the wake word can be disabled in settings and replaced with a customizable button on the right temple arm. The review says there is no native way to record a conversation directly from the glasses, and features like live translation must be started manually.
But pricing complaints aside, I didn’t miss the camera.
— The Verge reviewer
Comfort and sound quality
At 43 to 47 grams, the glasses are described as more comfortable than other Meta glasses the reviewer has tried. The Clubmaster review unit has nose pads and adjustable temple tips, and the frames support prescriptions from -12 to +6.
Sound quality is called decent but not great, with tinny treble and distorted bass at louder volumes, plus inevitable sound leakage. Battery life lasted two full workdays without returning the glasses to their case.
