Are Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses the new travel essential?

I put the tech on my temples and took the specs for a spin for a hands-on review of the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. By Laura Barry 

Travel is all about immersive experiences; discovering new sights, hearing unfamiliar sounds and tasting the unique flavours that define a place. It’s in these moments that we connect with a new culture. While taking photos and videos for social media has become second nature in today’s world, it can pull you out of that moment. But imagine being able to capture memories while remaining present – snapping photos, getting instant translations, or even asking your glasses for help identifying landmarks. Enter the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. I took these smart specs on a spin through Sydney, testing their photography features, AI assistant, translation tools and audio quality. Here’s how they held up.

Wearable tech

Available in a range of styles, I tried out the Skyler colourway – a shiny, chalky grey that blends classic Ray-Ban design with tech. While stylish, these smart glasses are noticeably chunkier and heavier than your regular specs. They’re not uncomfortable, but you’ll definitely know you’re wearing them. If you’re planning to wear them all day, give your ears and nose bridge some prep time. The battery lasts up to four hours, with the case providing eight additional charges on the go.

The  Ray‑Ban Meta AI Glasses offer a range of customisable elements, allowing users to choose from classic Ray‑Ban frame styles such as Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner, including limited-edition transparent options, in various finishes such as matte black, tortoiseshell and clear. Lens customisation includes clear, polarised, transitions (photochromic), blue-light filtering and prescription options (single or progressive).

User experience

Pairing my phone with the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses is relatively smooth, but the Meta AI app isn’t exactly intuitive. I had to do a bit of Googling to figure out how to download language packs for translations, export media and tweak some basic settings. It’s not a dealbreaker, but expect a short learning curve. Otherwise, the Meta AI assistant was able to answer most of my questions about the glasses.

Photos and videos

From the moment I slipped the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses on, I was able to take photos and videos without using my phone. It was freeing. Just a tap on the right temple, or a quick voice command, and voilà – a photo or smooth POV video captured instantly. The image quality is decent – sharp, clear and social media-ready, with a 12MP ultra-wide camera and 1440x1920px video recording at 30fps. While you’re not going to make a feature film with them, they’re more than capable for Instagram, Facebook, live-streaming or even YouTube. For content creators, influencers, vloggers or anyone who wants to document their travels without juggling a phone or camera, this is a game-changer. Exporting the images and footage to my phone was quick and easy, once I knew how.

Meta AI

The AI assistant in the  Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses is smart and mostly helpful. You can ask it to read or translate signs or menus between English, French, Italian and Spanish, and the AI assistant will say it aloud to you. You can also scan QR codes. It would be most handy when trying to navigate foreign street signs, restaurant menus or museums. But in actual conversations, it’s a little clunky. Hearing both the person and the AI respond almost simultaneously can feel cluttered. It’s not quite ready for seamless two-way translation in fast-paced chats, but it works. You can also ask the glasses to remember things such as your hotel room number or where you parked the car. Need help identifying a building? Sometimes Meta AI nails it (it identified Pyrmont Bridge correctly), other times it’s vague (calling Crown Sydney a ‘skyscraper’). It’s hit-and-miss, yet useful when it works – but don’t expect Meta AI to give you directions. That functionality isn’t available.

Calls, music and audio

I made a phone call right in the middle of busy Darling Harbour on a weekend, and the result? Crystal clear audio, both for me and the person on the other end. The five-mic system works wonders, rivalling even Apple’s AirPods for call clarity. Listening to music on Spotify was solid, too. Despite the open-ear speaker design, volume and bass held up surprisingly well, even in noisy, outdoor environments. Of course, you’re not getting noise-cancelling headphone quality, but that’s the point. The Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses are designed for awareness as well as audio. If you’re a solo female traveller, you’ll appreciate being able to listen to music or take calls while still staying attuned to your surroundings.

The verdict

If you’re a traveller who loves capturing memories without fuss, or a content creator looking for seamless, hands-free footage, the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses offer serious value. The real-time translation and landmark identification features make exploring new cities easier, even if they still need some fine-tuning. These aren’t essential for every traveller, but they’re incredibly handy, especially if you value convenience and connectivity on the go. Think of them as a hybrid between your sunnies and your smartphone: not a total replacement, but a very clever sidekick.

Specs  

• Camera: 12MP Ultra-wide | Video: 1440×1920 @ 30fps 

• Storage: 32GB = ~500 photos or 100+ 30s videos 

• Audio: Open-ear speakers with extended bass, five-mic system 

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 certified 

• Battery: ~4 hours + 8 recharges from the case 

• Compatibility: iOS 14.4+ / Android 10+ 

• Controls: Touchpad or voice command 
• RRP: $449