Oakley Meta HSTN is the name for Meta’s latest smart glasses and they promise an upgrade in battery life over the Ray-Ban Meta specs. The new specs also have an improvement in recording resolution for video.
If you haven’t used the Ray-Ban Meta specs, they have proved very popular. Reviewers have said they look great (like Ray-Ban Wayfarers in the case of one model), and many have said they are light and comfortable.
Music playback is considered excellent: loud enough to be heard but not overwhelming that you can’t hear the outside world if, for example, you’re cycling. Though some have said the camera only takes okay pictures and video, more camera fun is to be had when you say, “Meta, what am I looking at?” or some such enquiry, which is when it leverages its AI capabilities by connecting to your companion iPhone or Android handset.
On a personal note, I was highly skeptical when I first saw them, but they won me over. They’re very cool.
Battery life is unexceptional though, so part of Meta’s announcement on June 20 will be welcome: “More battery stamina: A fully charged pair of Oakley Meta HSTN glasses can last up to eight hours of typical use and up to 19 hours on standby. You can charge them up to 50% in just 20 minutes. The glasses also come with a charging case that can deliver up to 48 hours of charging on the go,” it reads.
Eight hours is double that of the Ray-Ban Metas.
The camera has been improved to shoot in 3K video resolution and Meta says they are aimed for athletes and fans alike. “Meta AI meets Performance AI glasses: With Meta AI, your personal AI assistant, built in, athletes can get more out of their Oakley Meta HSTNs right out of the box. For example, you can level up the competition in a whole new way when playing a round of golf. Need to know how the wind is going to affect your drive? Ask, ‘Hey Meta, how strong is the wind today?’… Get answers to a range of questions, whether you’re improving your game or checking the surf conditions,” it says.
About the name, by the way: HSTN is “pronounced HOW-stuhn,” Meta says, like the street at the top of SoHo in Manhattan.
The new glasses cost from $399, with the limited-edition Desert 24k Prizm Polar option priced at $499. Frame colors include warm gray, black, clear and brown smoke. The limited-edition pair are available for pre-order from Friday, July 11, with the others coming later in the summer.
Right now, Meta pretty much owns the smart glasses space and these specs could help cement that leadership.
