00:03The Oakley Meta Vanguard Smart Glasses are undeniably the best pair out there for athletes.
00:09The design is durable, the speakers have a much needed volume boost and the fitness tracking
00:13integrations are super handy for sharing your progress online with family, friends and followers.
00:18But their reliance on Garmin watches and only select models at that can leave them
00:22feeling lacking if you don't own one, which is very frustrating given the price of these specs.
00:30The Oakley Meta Vanguard Smart Glasses are undeniably designed for fitness.
00:35This is something of a double-edged sword in the design department however,
00:38as it means you can't really use them for everyday use unless your personal fashion
00:42choices include strolling around in a visor. But when you're on a run,
00:45powering down a slope or pushing yourself on your next bike ride, these glasses will be the ideal
00:50companion. The biggest benefit these specs have beyond their prism visors, which are tailored to
00:55different activities, is their IP67 rating, which allows them to tackle all conditions.
01:00I got caught out in a rainstorm with these specs on and the Vanguard glasses weren't bothered at all.
01:04I even successfully made a few calls despite the rain, wind and cars rushing past on the road,
01:09everyone I called said I came through crystal clear. I did have to double check this a couple of
01:14times though, as I was so surprised. When using my usual open earbuds or even my actual phone in those
01:19conditions, I'd know they'd struggle to hear me. The footage captured by its camera is good too,
01:24thanks to the centralised snapper which can capture video in up to 3k, which is perfect for
01:29sharing your fitness achievements. However, as I've touched on already, here lies my main concern
01:34with these specs. Their health tracking integration is currently reliant on a single company,
01:39Garmin. If you don't have a Garmin smartwatch, or you do have one but it's not one of the ones
01:43that's compatible with the Meta AI app, then you lose out on one of the best features of these
01:48Vanguard glasses. I actually ran into this problem with my own test, so I wrote up a handy guide,
01:52linked below, which runs you through which Garmin watches are and aren't compatible with Meta AI.
01:58Meta does usually take a slow and steady approach with integration, so my fingers are crossed we'll
02:03see Meta play nice with other fitness trackers down the line. But until then, this limited compatibility
02:08makes this device feel a little bit less mainstream. That said, if you are an athlete with a compatible
02:13Garmin watch, then the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses will be a superb companion. The open-ear audio,
02:19Meta AI assistance providing real-time fitness data, crystal clear calls and auto-capture video
02:24recaps combine into something superb. Right now, the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses are
02:33available in multiple regions, including the US, UK, Australia and Canada, and at the time of recording,
02:38cost $499. This makes them the most expensive non-display model Meta makes, pricier than Meta's
02:46Oakley Houston specs, and both generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses. In exchange, you do get some
02:51hardware upgrades. You'll find they're equipped with a 6dB louder open-ear speakers, a more durable
02:57design, they're IP67 rated rather than IPX4 for dust and water, and a slightly longer battery life than
03:04Meta's other models. The design also feels more quintessentially sporty, though that could be
03:09something of a downgrade if you're after a pair that you can use all day long for all sorts of
03:13activities.
03:17Sticking with design, you can pick up the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses in one of four design
03:22variations, each equipped with a different coloured prism lens. That is, a black frame with a 24k lens,
03:28a black frame with a road lens, a white frame with a black lens, or a white frame with a
03:33sapphire lens.
03:34Otherwise, the specs of all four are identical. The lens forms a large visor which covers both eyes,
03:41there's a large camera that sits above your nose, and each pair comes with three nose clip sizes so
03:46you can adjust the fit to suit your face. You'll also find three buttons on the frame. On the left,
03:51as you wear them, is the power button, while on the right you have the camera button and a
03:55programmable action button. The latter can activate Meta AI, automatically activate a different capture
04:01mode like slow motion or hyperlapse, or access an accessibility feature, alongside a few other effects.
04:07The prism lenses are Oakley's sports specific visors with colour patterns designed to boost the contrast
04:13of your vision during different sports. The red road visor version that I tested are ideal for runners
04:18and cyclists because they help you see changes in the road and trail in front of you, like signs, cracks
04:23and various terrain changes. They're also the least shaded of the lens options available currently,
04:28meaning I can use them just fine on overcast days as long as it isn't night time. If you live
04:32somewhere with a lot more sun, you might prefer the 24K prism lenses, which provide more shade but
04:38similar contrast effects to the road lenses, or you might like the black lenses if you don't care
04:42about contrast. The sapphire lenses are also good in the sun, but are tailored to water sports and
04:46skiing. If you like the sound of a couple of different lens options, then you're in love.
04:50For the first time with its smart specs, Meta's vanguards boast swappable lenses,
04:54so you can change between these available options or some soon to launch alternatives like a low
04:59light visor as and when you need. That is, provided you buy the extra lenses, and they cost $85 a
05:05pop.
05:05Regardless of your lens and frame colour choice, the design is pretty durable. I run in sunnier weather
05:10and a rainstorm just fine. I did need to wipe the visor when it was wet, but no more than
05:15I would with
05:16my regular specs. And at least the glasses don't fog up. Plus, they stayed securely on my face the
05:21whole time, not slipping at all. During the rain, I was glad for their improved IP67 rating,
05:27because this means they can survive harsh outdoor weather. Just don't try swimming in them. So on
05:31my rainy run, it meant I didn't need to rush home because I was worried my tech would get ruined.
05:36It was just because I was cold and miserable. If they do get wet, however,
05:39Meta advises that you dry them off before using the charging case.
05:46Speaking of which, the bulky charging case safely stores your specs and boosts their roughly nine
05:51hours of battery life, six if you count continuous music playback, with up to an additional 36 hours.
05:57It can quickly charge your specs to 50% full in two hours as well. As I said, it isn't
06:02the slimmest
06:02case though, so you'll want to use the drawstring bag case, which comes in the box as well, which is
06:08ideal for taking out on your excursion if you want to put the glasses away during a break or
06:12cool down and not scratch the visor.
06:17If you know much about Meta's smart glasses already, you'll be familiar with the core features
06:21these specs borrow. We're talking open-air audio and in-built camera and Meta AI assistance.
06:26I'll cover the quality of the camera and speakers in a moment. For now, let's focus on the AI and
06:31a
06:31neat trick the vanguards have up their sleeves, Garmin integration. Meta AI can, provided you have your
06:36phone nearby and are connected to the internet, offer real-time answers to your queries. Simply
06:41say, hey Meta, and you can get started. On my other Meta smart glasses, I love the AI when I'm
06:46being a
06:46tourist, but on these vanguard frames is instead my personal fitness coach. I've asked for some quick
06:52exercise tips so I can try to boost my running performance and endurance, and for healthy snack
06:56advice so I know what to grab from the convenience store as I jog past to enjoy as a post
07:01-workout treat.
07:01It also enables hands-free controls. I like to focus on my runs and find I can do that more
07:07easily if I
07:08just call out to the Meta AI to change tracks in my playlist, or give me my fitness data, compared
07:13to
07:13swiping on the frame or looking down at my wrist. This fitness data comes from my Garmin watch.
07:18For this review, I borrowed a Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2, which is one of a selection of compatible Garmin
07:24devices. Mostly watches, but a few bike computers are in there too, that can beam real-time data to the
07:30vanguard glasses. While in a fitness activity, like a run, I can get real-time updates on my heart rate,
07:36my running pace, distance travelled and how well I'm hitting my goals, which is super handy. Plus,
07:41for those of you who care just as much about sharing your fitness successes as you do about actually
07:46getting fit, you'll love AutoCapture. When enabled, AutoCapture will take a short video every split,
07:52every lap, kilometre or mile based on your preferences, as well as at key moments like when your heart rate
07:58jumps up because you're pushing really hard or when you hit a new elevation high. The Meta AI app
08:02will then process these shots and overlay your Garmin data, like your pace and distance travelled,
08:08which you can then share as a montage or sequence of stories. As you can see in an example I
08:13filmed
08:13on a run in my hometown, the app and Meta's AI collated all the data and footage automatically,
08:19and even gave my clips an automatic title. You can see what Garmin watch I was using too.
08:23I think it's really neat, it's just a shame these fitness data integrations, which feel
08:28somewhat essential to the glasses identity, are locked to some very specific fitness devices.
08:37As for performance, I believe these specs perform really well in the areas athletes
08:41will appreciate. That is to say, music and call clarity. While I can't test Meta's claims that you
08:47can be heard over 30mph wind, during Meta Connect Mark Zuckerberg said you can basically be standing in
08:53a wind tunnel and still come through clearly on the other side, I can say that what initially
08:57sounded like a vast over promise now seems like a very real ability of these specs.
09:03I went out on a run in a rainstorm like I've mentioned a few times, and not only could I
09:07always hear my music through these open ear speakers, while also being able to pay full
09:11attention to my surroundings as nothing was covering or inserted into my ears, the microphones,
09:16by all accounts, picked me up crystal clear. I never had trouble activating Meta AI, and even when I was
09:22jogging alongside a road with cars whizzing past, being buffeted by heavy rain and strong winds,
09:28the folks I called all said they couldn't tell I was in a storm. The noise cancellation was,
09:33as one person described, fantastic. I know my other open earbuds, and even my phone,
09:38wouldn't have competed with that noise based on my experience with them, so I'm very impressed
09:43with the Vanguard's capabilities. Jumping back to the audio for a moment, while not on par with more
09:48dedicated earbuds or headphones audio quality wise, this comfy open ear all in one solution was
09:53excellent at keeping me motivated with music, while keeping me aware of my surroundings. Again,
09:59the volume boost helped to keep the tunes at the perfect level, even as I'm surrounded by other
10:03noises. I should also give a small shout out to the camera. While the single shot photos are more on
10:08the
10:09okay end of the spectrum quality wise, the first person videos look great, and pick up the audio
10:14really well, even if a lot of them simply capture me huffing and puffing into the mic as I'm pushing
10:19myself on my run. Because of this high quality, I love the auto capture montage the app creates,
10:25and plan to always share it with my Strava posts going forward.
10:31But the big question is, should you buy the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses? At $499, they aren't the cheapest
10:38option out there, but if you care a lot about your fitness and have a compatible Garmin watch,
10:43they do feel like a really handy pick up, especially the hands-free voice controls for
10:48your music and fitness data readouts. That said, if you're after something you can use all day,
10:53this design of smart glasses won't suit everyone's fashion choices, limiting their utility unless
10:58you're willing to wear a visor all day, every day. In this case, I'd in a sense suggest either
11:03the more fashionable Ray-Bans or Oakley Houston based on your style and price needs.
11:08Let us know in the comments which colour of Oakley Vanguard visor you like best,
11:12and we'll see you in the next video.
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