Ray-Ban wasn’t the only collaboration that got some shine at Meta Connect. The company also took the wraps (no pun intended) off a pair of wraparound shades designed by Oakley and, like its recently released HSTN smart glasses, designed more with sporty types in mind.
Outside of the differing glasses shape, the $499 Meta Oakley Meta Vanguard (yes, that’s the official name in that order) specs also have a centered camera that’s meant to be better suited for capturing footage during “action” sports like snowboarding or cycling. Similar to Oakley’s HSTN glasses, the Vanguard have upgraded camera specs and are capable of capturing video in up to 3K resolution with its 12-megapixel camera that has a 122-degree field of view.
There are some new fitness integrations, specifically with Garmin and Strava, that allow you to use the smart glasses as a sort of augment for health wearables. For instance, you can ask Meta AI how you’re doing on your fitness goals, or you can get updates on other fitness metrics in real time.
While the tech inside the Vanguard is significant, equally as important is the form factor. Wraparound shades, while they’re probably not the style most normies would spring for, are ideal for skiing and snowboarding because of the superior wind blockage. Having used Meta’s HSTN smart glasses a little myself, I think Vanguard will appeal to more people interested in the action sports side of things since the former double more as just regular specs.
One of the biggest upgrades that I got to hear for myself is the speakers. According to Meta, the Vanguard are 6 decibels louder than the HSTN glasses, which is clutch if you’re tearing down a hill at 30 mph on a snowboard. Meta also tried to optimize the design for sports in a number of ways, including an IP67 water rating, which makes them very durable when it comes to water and dust. I don’t know any professional water skiers, but if I did, I’d probably recommend these smart glasses.
Battery-wise, the Vanguard have decent longevity on paper. According to Meta, they have 9 hours of battery life with “mixed usage” or as much as 6 hours if you’re playing music continuously. With the charging case, Meta says its smart glasses get 36 hours and they can go from 0 to 50% in 20 minutes. There are all sorts of lens variations this go-around too, including black, sapphire, 24K (which is gold), and something called “Road.” Those lenses can be swapped around or replaced, but it’ll cost you a whole $85.
I haven’t had a chance to really test out the Vanguards in depth, but I can see how these would be appealing to someone who wants a sturdy pair of action-sports-oriented smart glasses. They’re available on Oct. 21 if that’s your thing, or you can preorder now.
