The Future of Tech: Meta Glasses and the End of Smartphones?
Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has made a bold prediction that the smartphone era is coming to an end. According to him, the small screens we carry everywhere and spend hours scrolling on will no longer be the dominant technology. Instead, he envisions a new era with the Meta Glasses, which promise to revolutionize how we interact with technology.
These AI-powered glasses are designed to allow users to make calls, send messages, and take photographs from the frames on their faces. Zuckerberg claims that over ten years of research have gone into making these glasses “the next major platform.” While this sounds exciting, there are still many questions about whether they can truly replace smartphones.
A Skeptical Perspective
As someone who has owned a phone since childhood and enjoys spending hours scrolling through social media, I find it hard to imagine wearing a device on my face. Previous attempts at smart glasses, such as Google Glass, have not been successful. Launched in 2014, they were pulled from the market within a year due to various issues.
Meta has taken a smarter approach by collaborating with Ray-Bans to create stylish smart glasses. Since their release in 2023, priced between £299 and £379, 2 million pairs have been sold. However, I don’t know anyone who owns them yet. The Meta Wayfarer glasses I reviewed look similar to regular Ray-Bans, with sun protection and a variety of colors available.
Design and Features
The glasses come in a fancy brown leather-look case with a charging port inside. A glowing green light indicates when they are charged. The frames are classic Ray-Ban style, with thick lenses that remain stylish. The cameras, placed on either side of the lenses, are visible but discreet. The lenses claim to offer 100% UVA and UVB protection and automatically switch from clear to tinted when outside.
To set up the glasses, I had to download an app. Taking a photo required clicking a button on the side of the glasses, which then appeared in the app and could be imported to your phone’s camera roll. However, I found it difficult to tell what was in the frame when taking a photo. When I tried to capture an image of my puppy sitting on the floor, I ended up with mostly the floor in the picture.
Other images were better, but the quality still lags behind what you can get on an iPhone. The next generation of glasses is expected to include built-in holograms with projected screens, allowing users to see photos or even people in front of them.
More Than Just a Camera
The glasses are more than just a camera. By saying “Hey Meta,” you can ask them almost anything, including taking images or videos. During a redecorating project, I put on the glasses in my living room and asked, “Hey Meta, how can I improve this room?” The answer came as a voice reply through tiny speakers in the glasses: “You can add cushions and throws to add dimension and try adding some greenery or mirrors. You’ll want a lamp.” They were right, but it felt strange knowing I was showing my home to Meta.
Practical Uses
You can also use the glasses to make calls or send texts. One day, I told them, “Hey Meta, call Pete,” and sure enough, we had a conversation despite my phone being on the other side of the room. While walking through town, I asked where the nearest coffee shop was, and the glasses relayed the address and opening hours of the four closest cafes.
However, the ease of use made me feel that things became too simple. The glasses render maps obsolete and reduce the chance of discovering new places by accident. Given their efficiency, it's easy to see how the spontaneity of life might disappear.
Privacy Concerns
Privacy concerns have also been raised. With the ability to photograph or record people, it's not a secret that you're doing it, but it still feels strange to record anyone in the street with just one click on your face. If they weren’t directly facing me, they wouldn't have noticed if I had.
Benefits and Drawbacks
On the positive side, wearing the glasses reduced my screen time. I left my phone at home during walks because I knew the glasses could take pictures and make calls for me. I had less need to search the internet and instead asked questions out loud, though I received some strange looks from passersby.
A downside was the built-in sun protection, which darkened when sunlight shone into my flat and while driving. My favorite feature was listening to music without headphones, but still privately. I could work or walk listening to my playlist, and the volume was easy to adjust by swiping across the side of the glasses.
Customization and Cost
As a glasses wearer, I was pleased to note that it's possible to have Meta glasses made to fit your prescription. However, since the pair I tested was clear glass, I could only wear them with my lenses in. I’d probably need two pairs if I wanted to wear them all the time.
Since their initial release, multiple pairs of smart glasses from other companies have been released at a much lower price. Some are as cheap as £20 on TikTok shop, but most only come with the music function, rather than the camera, phone connectivity, and “Hey Meta” feature.
Battery Life and Final Thoughts
After two weeks of using the glasses, the battery didn’t need recharging once, as putting them back in the case recharged them automatically. These frames can make decisions for me, redecorate my home, tell me about finances, and make suggestions about what to do each day. I almost feel they’re swallowing my humanity.
There’s no doubt that they’re a huge technological leap forward, but they won’t overtake phones just yet. We’re all too busy scrolling through an Instagram feed, something the glasses can’t currently offer. One day, though, I don’t doubt that everyone will be wearing them. I think they’re great—but almost too great: I’d hate to become so reliant on them that I became incompetent.
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