For the past week, I’ve been testing the new Oakley Meta smart glasses – and while I love running in them, my fiancée (and running partner) wishes I’d stop wearing them.
In case you’ve missed it, the ongoing collaboration between Meta, Essilor Luxotica has spawned seven new smart glasses – one limited-edition design and six regular – that incorporate useful technology into Oakley’s HSTN specs.
Just like you’ll find in Meta’s smart Ray-Bans, these Oakleys boast a 12MP camera for first-person shots, open ear speakers for music, and a Meta AI assistant that can answer your questions and perform helpful tasks (provided they’re connected to your phone and the internet).
That’s not saying they’re identical, however. Some hardware has been upgraded slightly – like the camera that records higher quality video and the battery life is said to be longer – but the design is the biggest change.
And this is why I love running in the HSTN smart glasses. The open ear speakers are handy for keeping me energized with music while I push myself, and I’ve found the HSTN frame is much better at hugging my face than the Wayfarers I have – meaning it doesn’t jostle or slip as much on my jogs.
They also boast Oakley’s 24K PRIZM lenses. These golden-tinted sunglasses aren’t just polarized to reduce harsh rays; they also offer improved contrast to your vision, which I’ve found in the 24K’s case makes it easier to spot terrain changes and grooves before I roll an ankle.
The Ruby PRIZM lenses are meant to be an even better running companion, though I will admit that a downside of these picks is that they’re only suitable for bright conditions. For general use, I stand by my belief that transition lenses are superior as they can morph between clear and shaded based on the sun’s intensity.
So why, with all these successes, does my partner despise them? Well, she doesn’t think they suit me. It’s not the design itself, but the color of the frames, which, for the pair I’m testing, are white. Given my very pale complexion, she jokes that it’s hard to tell where the glasses end and my head begins.
I’m not sure I agree. I think the Oakley HSTN look rad, but if you agree these smart glasses aren’t a good fashion fit for me, then I’m not annoyed – I think this is actually a good thing.
That’s because while they are a gadget, they’re also a clothing accessory. While you can find designs and colors that suit everyone, distinct and personal fashion choices require designs like these HSTNs that maybe don’t work for everyone, but really suit the people they do work for.
This is one of the big reasons I’m excited to see Android XR partnering with brands like Gentle Monster and other fashion-first brands – as I’m hopeful we’ll continue to see inventive designs get the ‘smart’ treatment.
Based on my experience, I can definitely recommend the Oakley smart glasses just as easily as I recommended the Meta Ray-Ban glasses before them.
My only advice would be to go and try them on first. Firstly, because the different PRIZM lenses will suit different sports from a practical perspective, but also to make sure you like how you look in them.
It’s not something we’re used to thinking about with tech, but wearables aren’t just redefining tech, they’re redefining fashion in equal measure – and you don’t want this accessory to wind up like those other fashion faux pas you regret buying.
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