Meta’s New Oakley Smart Glasses Offer Key Benefits For Users

Meta and Oakley have teamed up to introduce the latest iteration of their smart glasses, known as the Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced HOW-stuhn). These new specs boast substantial upgrades in battery life and camera capabilities compared to earlier Meta models.

Marketed as ‘Performance AI glasses’, these innovative eyewear pieces are designed with athletes in mind. The glasses come equipped with Meta’s AI voice assistant, which allows users to initiate actions vocally, such as starting a recording with the integrated camera.

The Oakley Meta HSTN glasses feature a battery that promises up to eight hours of active use and a staggering 19 hours in standby mode. This marks a significant improvement over the four-hour average seen in Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Our testing found that while the Ray-Ban specs could last a day with minimal recording, the Oakley version appears to be on the right track for enhancing usability.

Similar to high-end wireless earbuds, these glasses come with a charging case that offers an additional 40 hours of battery life on the move. Remarkably, you can charge the glasses from 0% to 50% in just 22 minutes, with an 80% charge taking around 45 minutes.

On the technical side, the glasses feature a 12MP camera positioned in the upper right corner of the frame, capable of shooting 3K resolution, Ultra HD video. This is a notable upgrade from the 1,440 x 1,920 resolution available in the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

For added security and accountability, a ‘capture LED’ is located in the opposite corner, lighting up when the camera is engaged in recording or live streaming. This ensures that those nearby are aware that recording is active, and if the light is obstructed, the camera will stop recording until it’s unobstructed.

In addition, the glasses are equipped with open-ear speakers, facilitating music and podcast listening, as well as making and answering calls while on the go. They are also rated IPX4, meaning they can withstand splashes and sweat.

Priced at $399, the Oakley Meta HSTN will be available in 15 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and the UK, later this summer. Other regions, such as India, Mexico, and the UAE, will follow later in the year. For those eager to get their hands on a limited-edition piece, the Desert 24k Prizm Polar specs will be available starting July 11 for $499.