Alright, since people keep throwing opinions around, here’s a neutralish summary of what the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses actually are.

They’re basically a collab between Meta Platforms and Ray-Ban. On the outside? Just normal Ray-Bans. On the inside? Camera, mics, speakers, and Meta’s AI assistant.

So no, this isn’t full sci-fi AR goggles. It’s more like:

Glasses + camera + open-ear headphones + AI voice assistant.

What Can They Actually Do?

1) 1st-person photo & video

• Tap a button or say “Hey Meta, take a photo.”

• Records from your perspective.

• Big appeal for vloggers / hands-free capture.

2) Open-ear audio

• Speakers built into the arms.

• Music + calls without plugging your ears.

• Basically subtle built-in earbuds.

3) Meta AI built in

• Ask questions.

• Get info about what you’re looking at (object recognition in supported regions).

• Translation, general voice assistant stuff.

4) Social integration

• Optimized for Instagram/Facebook posting.

• Shoot → upload pipeline is seamless.

What They’re NOT

• Not full AR.

• No floating holograms.

• No heads-up display covering your vision.

Think: practical wearable with AI features, not a cyberpunk headset.

Why Are People Debating It?

• Privacy concerns (are we about to normalize face cameras everywhere?)

• Is this actually useful or just a tech flex?

• Early step toward replacing smartphones?

• What happens when competitors jump in?