Last year, we saw Meta slightly rebrand its smart glasses lineup by adding a host of new features to its previously unexciting ‘Stories‘ and renaming them Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. This time, the Menlo Park company improved its smart glasses even more by adding a few AI improvements. Some of these updates will not be available at the time of announcement at Meta Connect but will roll out later this year.
Meta is bringing Reminders to its smart glasses. This means you could ask your glasses to remind you about something you see at that moment. Meta uses the example of running low on your favorite cereal. Your glasses will note when you inform them in the kitchen and remind them when you’re at the grocery store. The good thing is you won’t always have to add an annoying “Hey Meta” before every sentence. You can talk to your glasses like you’d talk to a human.
Regardless of how much we detest it, more and more things are getting behind QR codes. Ray-Ban Meta glasses can scan QR codes directly, alleviating the need to pull out your phone every time.
One of the features coming later this year is Meta AI’s extension as a multimodal platform that can support video. This feature will allow you to share your POV and see what you see in real-time. Meta says this could be helpful in situations such as exploring a new city or preparing a meal.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses will also receive live language translation abilities later this year. Initially, they will only allow translations between English and French, Italian, or Spanish, hopefully supporting more languages coming soon.
The glasses will also allow integration with Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and iHeart. Last year, the glasses received redesigned speakers that were apparently 50% louder and more bass-heavy than their predecessors. I’m excited to test Spotify on the revamped audio output.
What has me most excited is Ray-Ban Meta’s upcoming collaboration with Be My Eyes, a mobile app that helps blind or low-vision people connect with volunteers through live video so they can help them with what’s in front of them. I was an avid user of the app and can attest to how useful the service is on smartphones.
Zuckerberg believes the app can be more helpful via smart glasses. He explained that your glasses will be able to make a call, show the volunteer what’s in front of you, and have them respond in your ears with the help that you need.
Meta is also introducing five new Transitions lenses with their old lens partner and Ray-Bans owner, EssilorLuxottica.
