Although they came out in 2023, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses easily take the title of my 2024 Gadget of the Year. While everyone is trying to create the future, Meta just created an outstanding and useful gadget for today. They don’t replace your phone, they don’t create realistic 3D environments, they just work. Here and now.
I’ve ordered RayBan Meta glasses before all the AI gadget craze. My expectations were simple: stylish Ray-Ban glasses with a few extra features like camera and speakers. What I didn’t expect was just how much they’d become part of my daily routine. Unlike most new gadgets that lose their novelty after a few weeks, these stuck with me.
Camera
Before purchase, this seemed to be the main feature. Taking photos or videos without holding a device feels a bit odd at first. While you “look” through your glasses, the camera captures a slightly different perspective, making it tricky to compose shots traditionally. But that’s the beauty of it—you don’t have to. The best pictures and videos you take are the ones you though – “ah, I wish I’ve had a camera in my hand at that exact moment!”
If you have kids, you will immediately understand. Usually, by the time you start filming with your phone, kids stop doing whatever they were doing before. And if they won’t stop – they immediately change when they see you filming them. They don’t do it just because, they now do it for the camera, and it’s always worse. With glasses, it’s different. Especially if you already wear glasses. It’s natural.
Action shots? Unbeatable. I’ve tested them on roller coasters, and the results were so stunning, even Meta themselves reached out to compliment the video. Getting a shot of a seagull stealing a McDonald’s burger from the woman’s hands – priceless.
Headphones
The built-in speakers were the most unexpected highlight. They’re not audiophile-grade, but they’re far better than I expected. Perfect for podcasts, and even the music sounds decent. And they are opposite to noise-cancelling. You listen to whatever you want and still have your ears free to hear everything. You are more present. Walking around the house without headphones and just with glasses makes my wife much happier.
Privacy and Expectations
Not surprisingly, some people are taken aback by them when they realise what they are. Yes, there is a light indicating when you are taking photos or video, but everyone (and I mean everyone) will joke “yeah, right”.
I’ve stopped wearing them at the office for this reason. Even though everyone has phones capable of recording at any time, the idea of wearing a camera on your face seems to make people uncomfortable. It’s likely a stigma that will fade as the technology becomes more common, but for now, I’d rather avoid being “that guy.”
Surprisingly, only two people realised those were smart glasses right away – my stylist and mom. Plenty of people commented on the glasses (they are very different in style from what I usually wear, much more bulky, so the style change is noticeable). But no one except those two understood what these glasses really were.
Meta AI
I’ve fallen in love with them before AI became The Thing, so when Meta added the feature it was a nice extra, not a reason to exist for the gadget. Since AI isn’t officially available in Latvia yet, I had to use a VPN to try it out. It’s decent—nothing groundbreaking, but fun for party tricks and occasional quick questions. I’ll admit, I’m still getting used to the idea of talking to my glasses.
Conclusion
There’s not much to add beyond the title—these are my Gadget of the Year. And I’ve tested a fair share of new tech this year (more on that in future posts). If you’re on the fence about buying them, here’s my advice: go for it. They’re fantastic.
And the best thing — even if the battery is dead, they are still useful.