Four Months with Meta Rayban Smart Glasses: The Good, The Gimmicky, and The John Cena Voice

I've been wearing Meta Rayban Headliners for about four months now, and they've almost become a regular part of my daily routine. Not because they're revolutionary—they're not quite yet in my honest opinion—but because they're just useful enough to justify wearing them most days.

Here's what that actually looks like in practice.

Why I Got Them

I wanted POV video capability, hands-free photos, music without earbuds, and the ability to ask questions without pulling out my phone, you know all the things we were promised the future would bring when we were kids (where are the hover boards already?). The pitch was simple: smart glasses that look normal, with AI built in. I thought Ok, I’m game Meta, I’ll give you another try, but only for this (sorry I’m not sorry Facebook)

I got the Headliners (Gen 2) with prescription lenses (regular, not polarized), and I paid for them using my HSA since they're prescription eyewear. That made the price tag easier to justify—I'm healthy and have a decent HSA balance, so using it for something that's part glasses, part tech toy felt like a win.

What I Actually Use Them For

1. Recording POV Video and Photos

I keep the camera set to the 3k resolution, and the quality is pretty decent. Good enough for my needs—I'm not shooting a documentary, I'm capturing quick moments or recording things on the fly, and at 3k, that sure works. The 3k is available with the Gen 2, and apparently Gen 1 maxes out at 1080p, which is not too shabby honestly.

The ability to record at a whim is genuinely useful. If something happens, something interesting I want to capture, I can start recording instantly without fumbling for my phone. Same with photos. If something catches my eye, I can snap it faster than pulling out my phone and opening the camera app, and that is super neat. There have been numerous moments where I have appreciated the ability to snap a quick pic, and the fact that you can either physically reach up and press the on frame button or simply say “Hey Meta, take a picture” makes it convenient and easy.

Use cases that work well:

• Walking the dog and wanting to capture a cool sunset
• Putting on a song and playing along for guitar practice (more on this later)
• Having a record of something if I ever need it (dashcam logic, but for my face)

2. Listening to Music and Audio

The audio quality is great, really. I can have music playing softly in the background while doing chores, and nobody notices. Turn it up, and yeah, the wife can hear that I’m listening to some jams—but it's not disruptive unless you're blasting it.

Where this shines:

• Playing along to songs on guitar or bass. I can hear the song through the glasses while also hearing my instrument clearly. This is such a killer feature for practicing music. No earbuds blocking ambient sound, no phone speaker across the room—just the song in my ears while I play along. It’s one of my favorite features.

• Dog walks. Throw on a playlist and walk. Hands-free, no earbuds falling out, no wires. I like just vibing and still being able able to hear my surroundings, like if another dog is approaching, or cars driving by, it makes me feel less in a bubble and still able to react, even if that reaction involves a little dancing.

• Calling my parents while doing dishes or walking around. The mic works well, and I can talk without holding my phone. It's like having a Bluetooth headset, but without looking like I'm about to take a business call in 2005.

3. Asking Questions with "Hey Meta"

This is where things get interesting—and also a little gimmicky.

I have the AI voice set to John Cena, which cracks me up sometimes and honestly makes me like him more. I already liked Cena, but having him answer my random questions like a patient older brother makes him feel like a buddy. I tried switching to Awkwafina for a while (because why not), and that was cool, but I went back to Cena because I just like his responses better. There are a few celebrity voices you can choose from, and some AI voices as well, but I’ve been with Cena for 95% of the time and I don’t regret it a bit.

Sometimes he explains things like he's talking to a child, which doesn't bother me—it kinda makes me laugh. "Well Andy, let me tell you about the Punic Wars..." Thanks, John.

What I ask it:

• Quick facts. "Hey Meta, when was Docker first developed?" "What's the capital of Mongolia?" "Who wrote Blood Meridian?"

• Language help. I've been learning German and Spanish on and off for a decade, so I'll ask it to translate words, explain grammar structures, or remind me what something means. It can also take a picture of text in another language and translate it, which is rad.

• Describing what I'm looking at. This is a cool feature. I can simply look at something and ask, "Hey Meta, what am I looking at?" and it'll describe it. Useful for identifying plants, landmarks, or just messing around. It gets it right a fair amount of the time.

• History and author info. "Who is Roberto Bolaño?" or "Tell me about the Byzantine Empire." This is incredibly useful to capture quick context and then continue on without any disruptions. It helps me to gain that context quickly, especially when analytically reading something.

The AI limits: It's basically a better, more verbose, version of Siri or Google Assistant. For surface-level questions, it's great. For anything deep or technical? It hits a wall fast.

I wouldn't ask it for help with a Docker container setup, but I'd ask it when Docker was first developed. I've had some deeper conversations that eventually peter out into vague, vapid responses, so there's an obvious limit to how far you can push it. Though, I have had some interesting philosophical conversations and have been amused with it's replies, although it’s a shallow well and sometimes the water is a little stale.

But for quick, practical questions while I'm walking around or doing something with my hands? It's genuinely helpful.

Battery Life: Okay, But Not Great

With light use—just wearing them as glasses with occasional queries—I get almost a full day. Add music, video recording, or frequent AI queries, and they drain much faster. Not a deal breaker, if the battery dies they just become normal glasses, but if they could do the heavy stuff and hit that full day mark I would be a bit more impressed by them.

Real-world examples:

• Wearing them all day with light music and a few queries: Fine, lasts most of the day
• Recording a 10-minute POV video or playing music for an hour: Noticeable battery drain
• Constant use (music + queries + recording): They'll die before the day's half over

The charging case works well, and recharging is quick. But I always keep a spare pair of regular glasses with me just in case they die while I'm out and I want to throw them back in the case for a charge. It doesn’t take long to charge back up, about 75 minutes on average, and that’s definitely acceptable.

The Most Annoying Parts

1. Sometimes It Just... Doesn't Respond

I'll say "Hey Meta" and ask a question, and it seems like it's processing—and then nothing. Silence. I have to say "Hey Meta, you didn't respond" a couple of times to get it to actually answer. This has happened enough to be annoying. Sometimes I have to ask a several times. I’m unsure if that’s a pairing issue, or connectivity, but it is annoying.

2. It Calls the Wrong People

This is the most frustrating thing by far.

I'll say "Hey Meta, call my mom," and instead of calling my mom, it'll start calling someone else—like the time it called "Isla's Mom," which is a contact from a girl who used to come into the rock gym I worked at a few years ago. Fair enough, I guess, since her contact name literally has "Mom" in it, but still. I suppose making contacts more distinct boils that down to user error.

Other times it's spot-on and calls the right person. But I don't trust it unless I say the person's full name, and even then it's called the wrong person. And I can't stop it. I'll be yelling "HEY META, STOP CALLING!" and it just... keeps calling. I have to frantically pull my phone out to hang up before they answer, which has led to a few awkward accidental calls, like "Hey man... I was, uh... just checking in 😅"

This makes the hands-free calling feature way less useful than it should be, but pull out the phone and dial and I suppose your good there.

Do They Look and Feel Like Normal Glasses?

They're slightly bulkier than regular glasses, but surprisingly normal-looking. They ride that line pretty well—not obviously "tech glasses" unless someone's looking closely, or notices the cameras. Speaking of that, they do have a light on the front that pulses to alert people that it's recording, and I appreciate that. It’s neat that you can't block the light or else it stops recording. This help me to feel comfortable and others as well. Like, if someone asks if I'm recording them I can explain that feature to them so there's no creepy vibes, and that's a win for glasses with a camera.

Comfort: They're not heavy. I can wear them all day without discomfort, just like regular glasses. The weight distribution is good, and they don't feel like they're going to slide off my face during CrossFit or walking the dog. Are they as comfortable as normal glasses? Not quite, but that doesn't imply they're not comfortable, they're just different than say a pair of wireframes, and I do find them to be pretty comfortable considering what they are.

Style: They look like Raybans. Which is to say: they look fine. Not flashy, not dorky. Just glasses, and Raybans are stylish.

For those super stylish types of folks out there, a caveat is that you'll pay an extra $100 just for the little Raybans logo on the actual lenses themselves, but the logo is on the frames and I don't care about that stuff too much personally.

Real-World Use Cases

Here's where I've actually worn them and what worked:

CrossFit

They stayed on fine during workouts. I didn't record anything (because who wants POV footage of burpees?), but they didn't feel awkward or fall off. I mostly wore them for the music while warming up or cooling down, and honestly forgot I had them on in the gym until someone asked about them.

Walking the Dog

Again, this is where they shine for me. Throw on some music, walk around the neighborhood, and enjoy not having earbuds in. If something interesting happens, I can snap a photo or start recording instantly. I've also used the AI to identify plants and landmarks while walking, which is a neat party trick.

Playing Music

Again, being able to hear a song through the glasses while playing guitar or bass is genuinely one of the best features. No earbuds blocking ambient sound, no phone speaker across the room. Just the song in my ears and my instrument in real life. This alone makes them worth it for budding musicians who like to play along to tracks.

Quick Recording for "Just in Case" Moments

The dashcam logic applies here. If there's ever something scary like a road rage incident, an accident, or something I want to document, I can start recording immediately. I haven't needed this yet, but knowing I can is comforting.

Would I Recommend Them?

Yes, but with caveats.

If you're interested in smart glasses and don't mind the price (~$300-400 depending on prescription), they're worth trying. But they won't fully replace normal glasses, and the AI is still riding the line between "genuinely useful" and "kinda gimmicky." There are third party alternatives to the prescription lenses, so you don't have to buy through Meta's store, but then the HSA doesn't apply, so it’s 6 of one and a half dozen of the other.

Who should get them:

• People who want hands-free music and calls without earbuds
• Anyone who'd benefit from quick POV recording (parents, travelers, people who want a visual record)
• Musicians who want to play along to songs without juggling devices
• Language learners who want quick translation help
• People with HSA funds who can justify the cost as prescription eyewear
• Tech enthusiasts like me

Who shouldn't get them:

• Anyone expecting ChatGPT/Claude-level AI—it's not that
• People who need all-day battery life with heavy use
• Anyone who'd be frustrated by occasional AI hiccups

What Would Make Them Better?

The big one: Better AI.

The AI is almost there, but it's still surface-level. I'm probably not pushing it to its full potential, but even when I do, it hits limits fast. If Meta integrated something closer to GPT-4 (RIP) or Claude instead of the glorified Assistant it currently has, these would go from "useful" to "must-have."

Other improvements I'd want:

• More reliable voice commands (especially for calling people)
• Longer battery life with active use
• Better feedback when the AI doesn't respond (don't just sit there silently!)

The Verdict

After four months, I still wear them most days. They're not revolutionary, yet, but they're useful enough to justify the cost and the slight bulk over regular glasses. And honestly, it did feel like I stepped into the future a bit when I first got them. They are neat.

The POV camera is legitimately great. The music-while-playing-guitar feature is killer. The AI is helpful for quick questions but limited for anything deep. The hands-free calling is great when it works, frustrating when it doesn't.

If you're curious about smart glasses and have the budget, they're worth trying. Just go in knowing they're a solid product, but you might find yourself yelling "HEY META..."

And if you do get them, set the voice to John Cena. Trust me.

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What I'm Wearing:

• Meta Rayban Headliners Generation 2 (Prescription, Regular Lenses)
• Price: ~$329 base + prescription cost (about $100 extra)
• Paid via HSA

Four months in, still wearing them. Still asking John Cena random questions, still liking them.