Ray-Ban Stories are far from the Metaverse

Facebook is taking its name as literally as possible with its newest face accessory; smart glasses. 

Social media giant Meta teamed up with Ray-Ban late last year to produce Ray-Ban Stories, and 9News recently took them out of the case for an updated review.

While they may seem gimmicky at first, Meta must be doing something right for them to roll them out across four new countries in the last month.

What makes Ray-Ban Stories so special? 

Smart glasses have been far from successful in the past decade, but Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration isn’t technically “smart”.

There’s no VR (virtual reality) involved, or AR (augmented reality) either.

Sure, it’s got video capability, a voice assistant, and open-air speakers, but in terms of a display, they’re just normal sunglasses.

But creating a seemingly normal pair of sunglasses was the intention.

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the idea behind the glasses is to remove the need to be on our phones to capture pivotal moments in our lives.

“This is just the start, Ray-Ban Stories are an important step in the future when phones are no longer a central part of our lives and you won’t have to choose between interacting with a device or the world around you,” he said in a video introducing Ray-Ban Stories. 

The original Ray-Ban Stories are essentially a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer-styled sunglasses that enabled the user to capture photos and videos on the go.

The ability to customise the glasses for indoor or outdoor use is something that may have gone over the heads of most people when they first launched. It’s worth noting that clear or transition lenses can be fitted to all Ray-Ban Stories devices.

A new software update has seen the video recording length increased from 30 seconds to 60 seconds.

No, they won’t give you access to the Metaverse, but they do look great and have some snazzy features to accompany them. 

Facebook’s collaboration with Ray-Ban has sharing videos on your social media front of mind, but one of the coolest things about them is the headphone function.

The sunnies have speakers on each arm that act as headphones, and the sound is surprisingly great. Given there’s no cup or bud for your ears, the sound traveled perfectly to my ears – Meta calls them “Open Air Speakers”. 

They also have the ability to make and receive phone calls.

It’s clear these sunglasses were designed to be very “hands-off” when it comes to your mobile phone. 

Some of the key functions can be activated with voice control, for example; “Hey, Facebook. Take a video.” or “Hey, Facebook. Take a picture”.

Which is neat, but also, in my opinion at least, socially unacceptable to start shouting commands to your sunglasses in public. 

Another concern with Ray-Ban Stories was privacy, but since launching the product Meta boasts confidence in its privacy rules and features. 

An LED on the front of the glasses lights up when you’re recording or taking a photo, it was an obvious “must-have” when designing the glasses. 

If you’re thinking about using these sunglasses as a pair of spy goggles – think again. 

You’ve taken a picture or video, what now?

Everything captured via the glasses is uploaded to the Facebook View app. It’s a neat little app that connects to your Meta social media accounts allowing easy access to edit and share clips. 

It’s here in the app you’ll also be able to change settings and pair the device. 

Underneath all of the technology, they’re just a standard pair of Ray-Bans. If you require a prescription, you can easily pop into your optometrist for a lens upgrade. 

There are now three different styles of Ray-Ban Stories, all coming in a variety of colours and are priced at $449. 

If you fancy yourself a stylish pair of sunglasses with a techy twist, Ray-Ban Stories are readily available at most eyewear retailers and online.