I tried the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses' newest AI features, and they're about to become a much better – and cooler-looking – companion

Upping its Meta AI game

· TechRadar

News By Lance Ulanoff published 25 September 2024

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Meta isn't redesigning its increasingly popular Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but it is pouring attention on them in the form of new colors, faster transition lenses, and a lot more Meta AI capabilities.

At Meta Connect 2024 at the Meta Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, I got a chance to try out the smart glasses' latest capabilities, and it's clear to me that this little brain transplant will help raise Ray-Ban Meta's wearable companion capabilities.

Most of my experiences were in a sample Ray-Ban Meta Pop-up store, the first of which will soon appear in Los Angeles. It's a place where you can experience all of the smart glasses' various features, including Meta AI-powered ones, buy glasses, and even get them personalized with a custom engraving.

Some of Meta AI's updated capabilities are thanks to better third-party app integrations. Meta AI can now play Spotify Music, and the requests can be based on artists, tracks, or even moods.

Sing a song

I donned a tortoiseshell pair of Ray-Ban Metas and asked Meta AI to play me a happy song by Taylor Swift. Granted, that was a bit of a fumbled request, so I guess I wasn't surprised when Meta started playing the Happy Birthday song through the smart glasses' speakers, which are positioned in the stems and near my ears.

I regrouped and asked for a Taylor Swift song (I know, shockingly not Hot to Go by Chappell Roan), and after a second delay, it played Shake It Off.

Meta AI now has vision capabilities, so there were places throughout the demo store where I could look at things and ask Meta AI what I was looking at.

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