Meta's New Ray-Bans: Smart Glasses That Can 'Remember' Your Experiences

Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are setting a new standard for AI hardware. Recently unveiled at the Connect conference, the latest software updates and a limited-edition translucent Ray-Ban style enhance the glasses' functionality, making them feel genuinely intelligent.

The updates introduce innovative features such as "Reminders," which enable the glasses to capture images of what you're viewing and send notifications to your phone later. Users can now scan QR codes and directly call visible phone numbers. Previously capable of translating select languages from still images, the glasses are also gearing up to support real-time language translation, allowing users to hear translations of spoken words in English, French, Italian, and Spanish directly through the glasses' speakers in the coming months.

I had the opportunity to test these updates, and the advancements in AI are evident. The initial experience with the Ray-Ban Metas in July showed limitations, as it struggled with basic tasks like setting a timer or identifying objects. This latest iteration performed significantly better, accurately recognizing my requests and responding smoothly to follow-up questions. However, the absence of a timer remains a notable drawback, though Meta spokesperson Elana Widmann assures this feature is "coming soon."

A Meta product lead emphasized that the aim of these updates is to create more intuitive interactions with the glasses. I found the AI to be markedly more helpful. Future updates will also introduce real-time video processing, enabling the glasses to comprehend the environment around the user—though this feature will not be available until later this year.

In addition to the software enhancements, Meta has partnered with EssilorLuxottica to launch a new line of transition lenses, alongside clear frames that showcase the internal technology, reminiscent of the classic Game Boy Color. These clear frames are now on sale, limited to just 7,500 units.

Despite a challenging year for AI-powered devices, with products like Humane’s Pin and Rabbit R1 facing tough sales and reviews, Meta's smart glasses have reportedly exceeded sales expectations. CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that demand is so high that EssilorLuxottica is increasing production. Estimates from IDC suggest that Meta has shipped over 700,000 pairs, with orders more than doubling from the first to the second quarter of this year.

Zuckerberg envisions a future where smart glasses take on a more significant role in daily life. "Meta AI is becoming an increasingly important feature of the glasses, allowing users to perform more tasks," he said in an interview. "While phones won't disappear, we may start doing more with our glasses, keeping our phones in our pockets."

Although it remains to be seen if these glasses will transform AI interaction, the latest updates indicate a promising direction for making AI assistants a practical part of everyday life.