Quick Summary
Meta and Oakley have teamed again, this time for smart glasses designed for sporting pursuits.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard is visor-style with a camera in the nose piece. You can expect to pay $499 / £499 / €549 when they become available from 21 October.
Along with an updated pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the first pair with a screen in the lens – the Meta Ray-Ban Display – Meta has announced a second device its created in collaboration with the Oakley brand.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard is a sports visor that is much more like what people expected before the HSTN pair hit the scene. And while the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses are great, these seem to be so much better for proper active use.
I managed to check out the new Oakleys during a demo in London ahead of Meta Connect, and while there was no way to test them on an adventure, I left suitably impressed and eager for T3’s fitness and active team to get their hands on them too.
The Vanguard pair look very similar to Oakley’s Sphaera – which many fans would find familiar. They come with PRIZM lenses, which are replaceable, and are very much designed to fill the entire field of vision.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
As with the HSTN smart glasses, they have speakers in each arm and a mic for use with voice control. This can access the Meta AI assistant for information and responses via audio.
However, where the Vanguard model differs is that its camera isn’t in the top corner of the frame, it’s sited directly centre – as part of the noise piece.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
This allows for more direct FOV recording, with a 122-degree wide-angle lens capturing all the action as you hurtle down a hill – for example. The camera has a 12-megapixel sensor and can also record video in up to 3K at 30 frames per second, or at 120fps if you drop the resolution down to 720p.
I see the end result as similar to strapping an entry-level GoPro to your face, albeit in almost invisible form. And that’s the magic – you can barely feel any extra weight, yet are able to record as you ski or ride.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
Indeed, from my very brief time with the Vanguard, I asked if it’s possible to get a replacement visor for golf. While the form factor might seem a little overkill, I’ve tried to record my swings using Ray-Ban Meta glasses before, but the off-centre camera gives a slightly odd angle.
Other things to note about the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses is that they sport a battery that’ll last up to 9 hours, with another 36 in the included charging case. And they’re IP67 water and dust resistant, so can be used for all manner of pursuits.
(Image credit: Rik Henderson / Future)
As I’ve mentioned, it’d be great to test them fully at a later date, but for now these really do seem like the Oakley smart glasses we’ve all been waiting for.
They’ll be available from 21 October in four colourways – Black with PRIZM 24K (gold) lens, Black with PRIZM Road (red/pink) lens, White with PRIZM Black lens, and White with PRIZM Sapphire lens.
They’re each priced at $499 / £499 / €549.
