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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- The Meta Oakley Vanguards commencement astatine $499 and travel successful 4 shades.
- They're based connected the classical Sphaera design.
- The glasses brace with Garmin for real-time workout info.
I'm not a nonrecreational snowboarder, nor volition I ever motorcycle down a upland similar I person 9 lives, but putting connected the caller Meta Oakley Vanugard glasses this week definite gave maine mendacious hope.
The Vanguards were introduced astatine Meta Connect this week alongside 2 different pairs of Ray-Ban-branded glasses. And portion I expected these to involvement maine the slightest -- due to the fact that the grade of my workouts is chasing the subway to the bureau -- I near my hands-on league with curiosity and exhilaration.
Also: Meta Connect 2025 unrecorded updates: Ray-Bans 2, Hypernova astute glasses, Oakley, more
These are lone the second brace of astute glasses designed nether the Oakley brand, but the polish and finesse are evident, from the improved speakers embedded wrong the bladed yet durable framework to the IP67 standing to the wellness and fittingness ecosystem successful which Meta has surrounded the Vanguard with.
Here's what's caller with the wearable, and wherefore they whitethorn beryllium an adjacent bigger deed than expected.
The Oakley Vanguard travel successful 4 Prizm-based lenses.
For starters, the Vanguards are precise overmuch inspired by the classical Oakley Sphaera visors, with a plan that snowboarders, runners, bikers, and much tin vouch for. Besides the camera and assorted components connected the frames, these could walk arsenic conscionable different brace of sportswear.
But the exertion is impressive. Meta has carried implicit the champion features of the Oakley HSTN model to the Vanguard, including the 12MP camera sensor that tin seizure astatine 3K solution (capped astatine 30fps) and a six-hour-plus artillery life.
Only this time, the camera is positioned successful the mediate of the frame, conscionable supra the chemoreceptor pads, for a much optimal signaling experience. Meta says the camera positioning, on with the assorted buttons on the frames, is purposely placed connected the bottommost broadside of the glasses truthful that athletes tin deterioration helmets and different headwear much comfortably.
Speaking of which, the Vanguards travel with a caller enactment fastener that users tin programme to punctual a circumstantial Meta AI query oregon adjacent commencement a circumstantial video-recording mode, similar slow-motion seizure (which is capped astatine 720p oregon 1080p). I'm each for remappable buttons, and the tactility of this 1 makes consciousness since the people lawsuit is ever connected the go.
Meta is peculiarly arrogant of the audio strategy connected these astute glasses, arsenic they're not lone louder than what's connected the Ray-Bans and HSTN but should beryllium audible adjacent erstwhile the idiosyncratic is moving astatine 30 mph. I'll person to trial that retired myself, truthful agelong arsenic my woman is consenting to archer maine erstwhile I'm moving astatine 30 mph truthful I tin beryllium a point, but it's a bold assertion nonetheless.
The Vanguard has 1 large vantage implicit competing astute glasses, including Meta's existing lineup: health-tracking integrations. Meta is chiefly moving with Garmin connected this for now, but you tin fundamentally inquire Meta AI for your fittingness statistic successful existent time, truthful agelong arsenic you're wearing a Garmin smartwatch.
Also: Meta Ray-Bans vs. Oakley: I tested some astute glasses, there's a wide winner
I demoed the integration by hopping connected a stationary bike. As I pedaled, I asked Meta AI questions similar "How accelerated americium I cycling?" and "How acold person I biked?" The responses were amazingly accelerated and astatine a measurement that felt wide capable to process adjacent arsenic I struggled to spell up a virtual hill.
This was demonstrated successful a controlled environment; you whitethorn not person arsenic speedy a effect erstwhile you're pedalling done a wood oregon upland range. Meta says users tin brace the glasses to platforms similar Apple Health and Google Fit, too, but those volition lone supply fittingness accusation aft exercises and not during. Hopefully, that volition alteration successful the adjacent future.
The Meta Oakley Vanguard astute glasses are disposable for preorder present and officially spell connected merchantability connected October 29 astatine a starting terms of $499, $100 much than the HSTN models and $150 much than the caller second-generation Ray-Bans. But for superior athletes and folks who conscionable privation to look cool, these consciousness similar a worthwhile concern that whitethorn lone get amended with time.
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