Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses review: Ray-Ban Meta on steroids
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Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) and Oakley Meta HSTN sensible glasses have wide-ranging kinds and lenses to attraction to as many individuals as potential, mixing in with regular glasses and dealing each indoors and outdoor. Oakley Meta Vanguard has the identical tech, however a polar-opposite strategy and viewers.
You are not sporting these right into a museum or on trip to find out about artwork and landmarks, nor on a late-evening stroll for music. They’re designed (and priced) for athletes who spend hours on trails, slopes, boats, or programs each week, and who need to seize and share epic moments as organically as potential.
Oakley Meta Vanguard worth, specs, and lenses
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Oakley Meta Vanguard sensible glasses value $499, barely larger than the $379–479 vary for different second-gen Meta glasses. It ships in 4 body/ lens coloration combos: Black frames with 24K gold or Highway pink lenses, or White frames with Black or Sapphire blue lenses.
You will not discover clear, polarized, or Transitions lenses for Vanguard. In contrast to Oakley Meta HSTNs and Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2s, these aren’t meant for indoor use.
The lens form precludes an easy prescription insert, however a fellow AC author bought unofficial Vanguard lens inserts that you simply connect by swapping out the default nostril guards. He stated it was “completely price it” for near-sighted athletes.
Total, you may discover that the Oakley Meta Vanguard specs are fairly much like Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) for connectivity and cameras, nevertheless it wins for battery life, audio system, and sturdiness.
|
Class |
Oakley Meta Vanguard |
|---|---|
|
Supplies |
O Matter nylon composite body, Unobtanium nostril pads, Prizm lenses |
|
Weight |
66g |
|
Prescription lens help |
None |
|
Body colours |
Black, White |
|
Lens colours |
24K (gold), Black, Highway (pink), Sapphire (blue) |
|
Digital camera |
12MP Ultrawide |
|
Photograph decision |
3024 X 4032 pixels (Portrait solely) |
|
Video decision |
1,080p at 30 or 60 FPS, 3K at 30 FPS |
|
Water resistance |
IP67 |
|
Audio system |
2X open ear audio system |
|
Interface |
Touchpad on aspect, Motion button, Meta AI for voice and digital camera |
|
Microphones |
Customized 5-mic Array |
|
Storage |
32GB; about 100+ movies (30 sec) and 1000+ pictures |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6E; Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Compatibility |
Android; iOS |
|
Battery |
As much as 9 hours per cost |
|
Charging (glasses) case |
As much as 36 hours |
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Every part you may love
Meta sensible glasses mix a mic and speaker, digital camera sensors, and AI smarts in a single package deal, paired to your cellphone. The Vanguard design is tailor-made to loud, sunny situations and lengthy exercises, however its audience might have already got favourite open-ear exercise earbuds, so the edge to impress them is larger.
In my case, I am going to admit that Oakley Meta Vanguard would not fairly match the focused, wealthy quantity of my Shokz OpenFit 2+, nevertheless it’s a a lot narrower hole than with my 2nd-gen Ray-Bans, and positively higher than bone conduction earbuds.
The high-decibel audio system sound glorious for observe sprints, windy trails, or different sporty situations, with handy (if finicky) contact controls round the suitable Oakley emblem to pause or skip tracks, increase/ decrease quantity, or summon Meta AI.
Every part from bass-heavy exercise beats to sit back audiobooks and cellphone calls reduce by way of the ambient noise, and the five-mic array ensures my voice comes by way of clearly on the opposite finish.
For solo hikes, runs, or rounds of golf, my Vanguard glasses can preserve me motivated for hours. Meta particularly guarantees six hours of music playback, although your mileage will differ relying in your quantity and picture/ video frequency. In my expertise, I noticed about 16.7% battery used per hour, although nearer to 25% with frequent media captures or AI queries.
Is that sufficient? For half-marathons or fast treks, completely; for an all-day experience or occasion, or for livestreaming, it is much less more likely to final. For sports activities with fast bursts of motion, you may high off the battery within the case in off moments, like on a ski elevate, if in case you have a approach to carry the cumbersome case.
The principle motive to purchase Oakley Meta Vanguard is the comfort of claiming “Hey Meta, begin recording,” or tapping a button, and getting a candid shot with out the delay and awkwardness of grabbing and pointing your cellphone at one thing.
This is applicable to different Meta AI glasses, nevertheless it’s particularly helpful for athletes, the place utilizing a cellphone is a sluggish distraction at finest and a security problem at worst. It is no DJI or Insta360 digital camera for content material creators’ sustained, high-res photographs, however Vanguard is extra pure for on a regular basis of us seeking to commemorate occasions and share moments with associates.
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Superficially, Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses look higher on my face than Ray-Ban or Oakley HSTN glasses, which look thick as a result of their design mimics “regular” sun shades. The Oakley Spheara design is already big, hugging your face, so Vanguard’s cumbersome measurement would not stand out.
Extra importantly, Oakley Meta Vanguard’s built-in nostril guard prevents downsliding throughout sweaty runs and steep downward trails, spreading out the load and stress evenly. With Ray-Ban Metas, I’ve to decide on between a tighter match that hugs my head or a extra pure match that continually slides down my nostril.
I additionally respect that Vanguard offers you a second Motion button for shortcuts, corresponding to triggering a Hyperlapse or Gradual Movement video, or studying out your present tempo for a Garmin-tracked exercise.
The Hyperlapse possibility is my choice: I completely love saving these sped-up glimpses of my favourite factors on the path, or the start of a race, whereas a full video is perhaps boring by comparability.
My sports activities of selection do not lend themselves to slow-motion movies, however I did take a look at it, and the impact would be cool for one thing like snowboarding or mountain biking.
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Garmin integration
I wrote 1,500 phrases about Garmin integration on Oakley Meta Vanguard, for Garmin watch homeowners curious concerning the characteristic. Reasonably than copy-paste my findings, I am going to reestablish the highlights, good and unhealthy.
When you sync your Garmin watch to Vanguard, Meta AI will know your real-time exercise stats. You may say “Hey Meta, what’s my present (or common) tempo/ HR/ energy/ cadence/ distance?” and obtain a solution in seconds. You may ask for stats that are not in your default Garmin knowledge fields, with out taking your eyes off the street.
Garmin Autocapture triggers five-second captures at mile markers or different contextual “sensible triggers,” then collects them into an editable video montage with synchronized Garmin stats displayed.
Whereas Autocapture is well-suited to race occasions, it is awkward for movies to set off when different individuals are strolling towards you, and you will have to delete dozens of random five-second clips out of your Photographs gallery afterward.
In the event you’re following a Garmin exercise with a goal zone, the Vanguard’s Standing LED will mild up pink whenever you’re off-target. This allows you to keep away from glancing at your wrist for each out-of-zone or back-in-zone buzz; ultimately, I need Meta to indicate two colours to point in case you’re above or beneath your goal zone.
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Lastly, the Meta AI app will create post-workout summaries of how your outcomes evaluate to previous actions, with recommendations on whether or not to relaxation from laborious runs or incorporate extra speedwork after simple ones. I do not discover it particularly useful, however novice athletes may gain advantage, and it isn’t paid like Garmin Join+.
Total, Vanguard’s Garmin integration has impressed me, nevertheless it’s not very important. Extra Garmin followers will need a HUD for real-time stats, however the Meta Ray-Ban Show design is simply too heavy for exercises.
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Digital camera and stabilization take a look at
I took pictures from particular spots sporting each my Oakley Vanguard and Ray-Ban Gen 2 glasses. The gallery beneath reveals how Vanguard’s photographs higher middle what I used to be aiming at, although additionally capturing extra incidental stuff round my topic.
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I then took out my Oakley Meta Vanguards for a hike, capturing nature pictures. I did not understand that my hat was within the shot till afterward, sadly, however you may nonetheless see how a lot huge element they seize, in addition to how they’ll snap transferring targets like a canine or vulture with minimal blurring.
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For this third, hatless take a look at, I took extra “regular” pictures. As with my Ray-Ban Meta digital camera take a look at, I respect the vivid colours and quick-snap captures of transferring targets; likewise, I’ve to simply accept that with out a viewfinder, it is laborious to know if I am standing too distant or ought to crouch for a greater angle.
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I haven’t got a handy approach to embed movies, however 1080p movies offer you smoother footage with ample particulars and realism, whereas 3K mode is extra vibrant and detailed with higher distinction and minimal compression, however extra vulnerable to jittering.
They regarded unbelievable throughout my Autocapture setting in sunny climate, however once I did some dash assessments at twilight, the footage was tough, with horrible, shaky blur because the digital camera did not fill in particulars. I would wish to see higher nighttime pictures on Meta’s next-gen glasses.
Watch On
Meta’s auto-stabilization is what makes motion movies work, with instruments like horizon correction making the footage glide seamlessly. My colleague’s video above reveals the way it appears to be like at totally different stabilization ranges — although Vanguard solely helps you to customise this setting in 1080p/30FPS mode, for now.
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Every part you will not love
I can comfortably put on Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses for hours, however the 66g of weight focused on the nostril pads does add up, particularly for exercises like operating with an up/down, bouncing movement. Though I put on glasses on daily basis, the Vanguards could make my nostril sore after all-day put on, or after shorter exercises on back-to-back days.
In the event you’re hoping to put on these glasses for every day exercises, you may resent the load; I exploit them extra sporadically, however I additionally produce other exercise earbuds and sun shades for informal runs that I do not care to {photograph}.
A lot of my Ray-Ban Meta overview complaints return right here, just like the noticeable audio spill, poor low-light pictures, the hyperfixation on portrait-only pictures for Meta’s personal apps, and Meta AI’s limitations. A minimum of audio bleed is much less of a difficulty outdoor the place most individuals are sporting headphones.
As for different nitpicks, Meta ought to add EQ presets or customization to optimize Vanguard’s audio system. And whereas Meta has a Discover My possibility along with your glasses’ final location, I want the case had a approach to ping it audibly.
Competitors
In the event you purchased Oakley Spheara sun shades, wi-fi earbuds, and an affordable sports activities digital camera, you’d spend barely extra, however get a lighter match, specialised audio instruments, and focused video with a viewfinder. Oakley Meta Vanguard is concerning the wearable comfort of capturing hands-free footage and solely having one machine to cost.
In the event you select Ray-Ban or Oakley HSTN glasses with Transitions lenses, you should use them indoors or for nighttime runs. These fashions have barely shorter battery life, worse water resistance, quieter audio system, no motion button, and an offset digital camera sensor. However they in any other case provide the similar AI and software program perks.
Garmin cyclists may scoff at Vanguard as a result of it lacks a HUD. However present HUD glasses are both too heavy or fairly restricted; ENGO 2 glasses, for instance, haven’t any music, picture, or AI capabilities.
Oakley Meta Vanguard: Do you have to purchase them?
You can purchase Oakley Meta Vanguard if…
- You need to doc your favourite athletic moments, whether or not for your self or others.
- You want open-ear audio and powerful eye safety for lengthy, secure exercises.
- You are within the Meta-Garmin integration.
You should not purchase Oakley Meta Vanguard if…
- You have not tried them on first to guage the load.
- You need to put on these indoors or at evening for music or AI.
- You solely need sensible glasses with a HUD.
If it is not obvious from this overview, I actually like my Oakley Meta Vanguard sensible glasses. I am capturing extra footage of my races and hikes that I am going to get pleasure from trying again on years from now, and I am extra doubtless to make use of these than previous sensible glasses as a result of I do know the battery will not die mid-workout.
Meta constantly updates its merchandise years after launch, and is at the moment porting Vanguard options to its first-gen Ray-Bans. So I am assured that Vanguard glasses will proceed to obtain new options that enhance the expertise; particularly, I believe the Garmin partnership will enhance with extra stats and higher shortcuts.
In the event you’re in any respect concerned about what Vanguard has to supply, I believe they’re price shopping for. However in case you’re scared off by the load or don’t love Vanguard’s huge portrait pictures, it’s best to look elsewhere. Possibly strive them on at a Sunglass Hut or electronics retailer first and see what you suppose.
Wearable perks
Oakley Meta Vanguards have trendy Prizm lenses, highly effective audio system paired with 5 mics, high-resolution portrait pictures, 3K or 60FPS movies, and Garmin watch integration for exercises.
FAQ
Can you employ Oakley Meta Vanguard with out a cellphone?
You may take pictures and movies utilizing Oakley Meta Vanguard (or different Meta sensible glasses) with out your cellphone readily available, however you may have to sync it will definitely for post-processing and importing. Each different Vanguard characteristic (music streaming, Meta AI, Be My Eyes, and so forth.) requires your cellphone readily available, and there is not any standalone LTE capabilities.
What are the Oakley Meta Vanguard button and touchpad shortcuts?
Swipe ahead or backward on Vanguard’s proper temple touchpad to lift or decrease the amount, respectively. Tapping as soon as performs or pauses your cellphone’s music; a double faucet or triple faucet skips forward or again in your playlist. Tapping-and-holding summons Meta AI by default, although you may customise this to activate different apps like Audible or Spotify.
Oakley Meta Vanguard has two buttons. You press the principle seize button to take a photograph, or maintain it down to begin a video recording, then press it once more to finish the video. The second Motion button could be personalized to set off Hyperlapse or Gradual Movement movies, Be My Eyes mode, or Garmin Autocapture mode, or to learn out particular Garmin stats (HR, length, distance, or tempo) throughout a exercise.
How do I exploit my Garmin watch with Oakley Meta Vanguard?
It’s essential to set up the Meta AI Join IQ app in your Garmin watch; that hyperlink reveals which watches and Edge computer systems are suitable, nevertheless it’s principally fashions from the previous few years, excluding cheaper or slower fashions just like the Intuition 3.
Within the Meta AI app, faucet the Settings cog subsequent to your Vanguard glasses, open App connections, faucet Garmin, then “Join Garmin.” It’s going to present step-by-step instructions, together with putting in the above app; you may want to make sure that the Meta AI app is put in for every Garmin exercise profile (like Run or Bike) earlier than your Vanguard glasses will acknowledge your stats for that exercise.
Are Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses “waterproof” or waterproof?
Whereas they’ve an IP67 ranking — which suggests they’re “protected in opposition to the consequences of short-term immersion in water” — Oakley Meta Vanguard aren’t meant for swimming or different water sports activities. They will deal with sweat and rain, however it’s best to nonetheless dry them off earlier than placing them within the case.
Meta warns that you simply should not rinse them underneath a sink to scrub them, use them for high-speed water sports activities, or put on them in high-humidity areas like saunas. And the charging case has no IP ranking, so try to be very cautious to not get it moist.
