Meta Oakley HSTN Smart Glasses
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The newest good glasses by Meta characteristic an enhanced design and options optimized for outside use.
- An upgraded digicam decision and battery life headline the perfect options.
- They’re pretty costly at $499, and the model may not enchantment to some customers.
extra shopping for selections
jul / 2025
The Meta Ray-Bans have been successful since their launch, with shoppers (like me) drawn to their common type issue filled with mics, cameras, audio system, and AI. Now, Meta is catering to a extra athletic viewers with its new Meta Oakley good glasses — and with them, it has upped the ante throughout almost each spec.
As a glasses wearer, picture fanatic, and AI reporter, it was an absolute no-brainer for me to buy the Meta Ray-Bans. After months of trying them, I used to be principally impressed. My largest qualm was the battery life, which solely lasted 4 hours.
Additionally: Meta Ray-Bans vs. Oakley: I tested both smart glasses, there’s a clear winner
So, when Meta introduced the Oakley model would have eight hours of battery life, I used to be instantly intrigued. I spent the previous weekend with the Meta Oakley HSTN Limited Edition, they usually exceeded my expectations.
In the beginning: extra energy
There are a lot of sensible causes an athlete would wish to put on good glasses, together with hands-free entry to music, messages, AI help, a digicam, and video. Nevertheless, which means the glasses need to be snug, sturdy, and have a battery that lasts the period of your exercise.
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Meta executed on all of those fronts with Meta Oakley HSTN Restricted Version glasses, packing an eight-hour battery life from a single cost (up from 4 on the Meta Ray-Bans) and as much as 48 hours with the totally charged carrying case, in keeping with Meta.
To accommodate outside actions in all terrains, the glasses have an IPX4 water resistance ranking, a step-up in sturdiness from the Ray-Bans. The video high quality can be larger, capturing 3K video, up from 1080p on the Meta Ray-Bans.
However these glasses additionally hold all the options that made the Meta Ray-Bans so nice, reminiscent of a 12 MP ultrawide digicam, digicam sensors embedded alongside the facet of the eyewear (nice for recording POV pictures throughout your exercise), two open-ear Bluetooth audio system, and a customized five-mic array.
Throughout my stroll, I listened to Justin Bieber’s new album and was extraordinarily happy with the audio, a lot in order that I used to be content material with my resolution to forgo my regular open-ear headphones, the Shockz OpenFit.
I used to be additionally in a position to ship audio messages, which is my most well-liked mode of communication, with no challenge. I even obtained the suggestions, “your audio sounds nice, truly,” after I apologized prematurely for any splotchiness which will ensue from speaking into my glasses.
I additionally examined the picture and video capabilities by snapping pictures throughout my stroll. I’ve all the time been amazed at how effectively it takes photographs, even when you find yourself in movement, with the ultimate consequence being secure, good-quality pictures. Essentially the most spectacular half, nevertheless, was the improved video high quality, which was evident as quickly as I considered the video after getting residence. You may distinctly hear the sound of my ft hitting the pavement as I did my mild jog, and the standard and POV make it really feel such as you have been taken alongside the trail of my jog.
This performance is especially vital as a result of if you’re available in the market for these glasses to doc your train, on the worth level, which is double that of a conventional GoPro, it’s crucial that the standard of the pictures be as excessive as doable.
Elevated consolation
Regardless of the extra rugged design and the higher elements below the hood, I discovered the glasses to be extra snug than the Meta Ray-Bans. In line with the specs posted on the Meta web site, each glasses are the identical precise weight at 49 grams. Nevertheless, the Oakley pair sits a lot extra comfortably on the bridge of my nostril that they virtually really feel lighter.
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Utilizing the smartglasses hands-free is simply as simple with both voice or touchpad instructions, relying on which you like. Earlier than my outing, I synced the glasses to Apple Music and my messages, so I did not have to take a look at my cellphone in any respect. Quite, I obtained a voice notification each time I acquired a textual content, and did easy motions on the touchpad, reminiscent of swiping ahead to regulate quantity or tapping to pause a track.
Utilizing Meta AI was simply as easy, with a easy command of “Hey Meta” unlocking a multimodal AI assistant that may see what you see, present audio help, and even carry out different extra superior duties reminiscent of AI language translation.
The Oakley pair’s case is a bit bulkier and fewer modern than that of the Ray-Bans. That stated, it was doubtless a purposeful design, as you in all probability need one thing extra heavy-duty when on a run, bike journey, hike, and so on. The Meta Oakley charging case holds 48 hours of cost versus the 32 hours on the Ray-Bans.
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There’s additionally the added comfort of getting high-quality sun shades catered to athletes. The good glasses have Prizm 24K Polarized lenses, which not solely shield towards the beaming solar rays outside but in addition assist you to see components you’ll have in any other case missed.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The audiences for the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys are a bit completely different. In case you are an outside fanatic who’s seeking to doc a few of your adventures and have easy accessibility to your cellphone, music, and an AI assistant, the added specs and design make the $499 funding within the Meta Oakley HSTN Restricted Version glasses value it.
In case you are simply on the lookout for good glasses you should utilize sometimes, with out a specific want for prolonged battery life or capturing high-quality video, you might wish to both keep on with the Meta Ray-Bans, which begin at $240, or wait till extra fashions are made accessible later this summer season on the lower cost level of $399.
The newest good glasses by Meta characteristic key enhancements that fulfill the shortcomings of the favored Ray-Bans, from the upper decision video recording to the longer-lasting battery life. Whereas the design of the Oakley model will depart clients divided, it additionally covers a spot within the good glasses house for customers who search a wearable for extra intense leisure actions.
You may sustain with my newest tales and tech adventures on social media. Comply with me on Twitter/X at @sabrinaa_ortiz and on Instagram at @sabrinaa.ortiz.
