Smart Glasses That Actually Work?

So, there's this new pair of smart glasses called Oakley Meta Vanguards. At first, I thought it would be just another forgettable gadget. I mean, I've tried a bunch of smart glasses before, and most of them ended up collecting dust. But these Vanguards? They're actually pretty impressive.

Design and Build

• Weight: About 66 grams, a bit heavier than regular sunglasses but manageable.
• Charging Case: Bulkier but acts as a battery bank.

Controls and Features

• Physical Buttons:
• Bigger button: Takes photos or starts recording video when held down.
• Side touchpad: Controls music.
• Speakers: Loud, great for cycling but may block out ambient sounds.
• Microphone:
• Voice commands start with "Hey Meta."
• Struggles after about 20-22MPH despite claims of up to 30MPH.
• Camera:
• 12 MP ultra-wide with a 122° field of view.
• Records up to 3K at 30FPS or 1080p at 60FPS.
• Four replaceable lenses, but no prescription options yet.

Charging and Cloud Integration

• Charging Case: Acts as a charging dock and battery bank.
• Glasses cannot be charged without the case.
• Automatically uploads photos and videos to the cloud via WiFi.
• Content is stored on Meta's cloud platform.
• No direct download to computer.

App Features

• Settings and Gallery: Manage glasses and view your gallery.
• Live Translation: Translates speech in real-time, but requires the app to be open.
• Integrations:
• Garmin: Real-time stats, overlay data on videos, view workout videos in the app.
• Strava and Apple Health: Available but not as deep as Garmin integration.

Battery Life

• Claimed: 9 hours.
• Tested: About 90 minutes with heavy use.
• Case: Provides an additional 36 hours of battery life.

Conclusion

The Oakley Meta Vanguards are a significant improvement over other smart glasses. They're not perfect, but they're definitely a step in the right direction. If you're into sports or outdoor activities, these glasses might be worth considering.