Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
As a tech reporter, I attend events and conferences with other gadget aficionados. A telltale sign that a product is good is when reporters and attendees rave about it and even use their money to buy it. And no matter where I went, I couldn't escape the glowing Meta Ray-Ban reviews.
Also: Meta's new $399 Oakley smart glasses beat the Ray-Bans in almost every way
These experiences weren't just ones that I noticed; sales told the same story. EssilorLuxottica, the glasses producer, reported in February that two million pairs of the Meta Ray-Bans have been sold since their October 2023 launch. After hearing so many rave reviews of the Meta Ray-Bans, I got a pair of my own.
As an eyeglass wearer and an openly photo-obsessed Gen-Zer, these smartglasses seemed like a perfect fit. After wearing them for five months, including at events such as CES, I have some favorite features. Surprisingly, my top picks are not what I initially thought they would be.
1. The audio
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
When considering whether I wanted the glasses, all the apparent benefits involved the dual cameras. I never expected my favorite feature to be the audio. The smartglasses are equipped with five microphones and two custom-built open-ear speakers that are surprisingly performant.
I often forget that I am wearing smart glasses until I start scrolling on social media and hear audio. The audio is honestly as good as using any earbuds with ambient mode or open-ear headphones, such as the Shockz OpenFit. There is sound leakage, but as someone who frequently uses open-ear headphones, I don't have any shame.
Also:,I tested Meta's transparent Ray-Ban smart gglasses, and they're a near-perfect accessory for me
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