There are the obvious reasons – that the tech is still very much imperfect, as well as the fact that wearing an Apple Vision Pro does make you look… insane.
However, I’d argue the biggest problem with this next-level wearable technology is the fact that it makes a person less of a human. And that’s something our phones are already pretty successful at accomplishing, so I really don’t know if we need new gadgets that make us antisocial in new ways.
But here comes the “but” in the story…
You see, I thought about it, and as someone who wears prescription glasses all day, every day, I think I see (wink) why a pair of less “crazy” Meta RayBan glasses can be easy to get used to.Of course, glasses that aren’t sunglasses are gonna be a redundant fashion accessory for those who don’t need them (or wear lenses). Therefore, I can totally see why those people would find the Meta RayBans novel in all sorts of ways.
However, for someone who already wears prescription glasses on a daily basis, adding the “smart” element means the honeymoon phase (getting used to them) shouldn’t be nearly as long – if it’s there at all.
The most unique “feature” of the Meta Ray-Ban glasses no one is talking about – smart glasses are unlike any other wearable
Moreover, I feel like we should focus on the fact that Smart Glasses like the ones Meta makes have the potential to be literally the only smart product that doesn’t serve a single purpose – in the sense that Smart Glasses will already be your “glasses” glasses – at least for those with prescription lenses, or you know – the weirdos who wear sunglasses indoors.
And I find this unique “feature” to be a big deal – it means the Meta ReyBans are something you’d be using at all times even if you forget to charge them, or simply decide to take a break from their smart functionality. Again – this is absolutely unique for a smart wearable.
Your smart watch is useless when it’s dead, and so are your earbuds, your phone, your tablet, and your laptop. But that’s not the case with smart glasses, which can be either a fashion accessory, or a pair of prescription glasses you’d be wearing anyway.
As a bonus point, the true multifunctional nature of smart glasses means you’d be far less likely to leave them behind like your phone, your camera, or your earbuds. My glasses are something I wouldn’t leave the house without – perhaps because I’ll trip over on the way out.
Yet they (the Meta RayBans at least) combine the features of a phone, a camera, and earbuds into one, which is pretty unique, and kinda mind blowing given how normal they look.
The current Meta Ray-Bans aren’t perfect, but I’m excited to see where this product is headed (and I can’t say the same about the future of the Apple Vision Pro)
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to try the Meta Ray-Bans but from the secondary research I’ve done, I’m confident Mark Zuckerberg & Co are on the right track with this product.
For one, it seems like Meta had done an incredibly good job at making the Meta Ray-Bans look and feel pretty much totally normal, and that’s something you can’t say for other wearable headgear – simply because the idea of “glasses” isn’t novel. Hence, a pair of smart glasses will always look normal compared to an AR/VR headset – until the two merge into one device, of course.
Apparently, they weigh more or less 50g, which is certainly on the heavy side compared to a prescription glasses frame I’d choose to wear (15-30g), but I’m sure they aren’t heavier than some large designer frames you see your favorite celebrity wear.
Of course, how much heavier they’ll get depends on your prescription (if you have one), the material, and how thin the lenses are. So there’s that.
Sure, the current version of the Meta Ray-Bans seems to have a bunch more shortcomings like short battery life, the 3-minute video recording limit, and the weird framing for photos/videos due to the camera being on the far left corner of the glasses, instead of the middle.
However, I don’t think the cons are enough to make me look away from the unique usability features a product like the Meta Ray-Bans bring.
- Just think about the potential benefit of having a decent quality camera on you at all times – you won’t be missing important moments you want to capture, and at the same time you won’t have to pull out your phone/camera and then get sucked into social media
- With the last major update to the Meta Ray-Bans, Meta has given Chat GPT-like abilities to the glasses, meaning you can look at something and ask the AI assistant to give you relevant information about – I don’t know about you, but the idea of having access to something like Chat GPT / Visual Intelligence simply by looking at something sounds wildly exciting
Apple might be wasting its time with Apple Vision Pro – Tim Cook & Co should make a Meta Ray-Ban competitor ASAP (Google and Samsung too!)
In fact, (to bring it back to the title of the story), I’d go as far as to say I think Apple might just be wasting its time with the Apple Vision Pro, which clearly is well past its hype days – and something’s telling me the wild price isn’t the reason for that.
However, speaking of price, it’s impossible not to mention the Meta Ray-Bans cost some 300-400 bucks, which (I believe) isn’t too much for a pair of (smart) glasses. I just got a new frame for my new prescription glasses, which set me back around 150 bucks, and the frame itself was free.
The point is that I believe Meta has already done the pilot study for Apple (and other big companies), which is an incredible advantage in the tech space. In other words, we already know people are much more likely to buy and wear the Meta Ray-Bans compared to the Quest or Apple Vision Pro.
So, of course, I wonder… What is Apple waiting for? Or what is Google waiting for? Google Glass wasn’t a bad idea – it was just way ahead of its time. And let’s be honest, people trust Apple and Google to make a “safe” product that protects their privacy way more than they trust Meta.