Meta Glasses review: A bit less polish, a lot more baggage

Meta Glasses review: A bit less polish, a lot more baggage Meta's glasses deliver the same functionality as its Ray-Ban models but don't quite feel as premium. When it comes to smart glasses, Meta's best move was making the frames look and feel more like a pair of Ray-Ban (and later Oakley) glasses than a tech-forward accessory made by the company itself. Now, after five years in the smart glasses game, Meta is putting its own brand front and center. The company's latest lineup of frames ditch the designer branding and officially take the name that's already become shorthand for the product: Meta Glasses. The change means that Meta can sell its own lineup for a bit less — the new frames start at $299 — with relatively few sacrifices. Compared with their Ray-ban and Oakley counterparts, Meta's own glasses don't skimp on features or functionality, though there are some details that make them feel a bit less premium. New branding, new look Another advantage with Meta's new glasses line is that it can offer a lot more combinations of colors and frame styles. Right now, there are three frame styles: Adventurer, a Wayfarer-esque design; Starfire, the Kylie Jenner collab with a cat eye shape; and Fury, a chunkier, oversized square style. Each of these comes in several color and lens variations. It would be nice to see some more round frame styles, but I do appreciate having more colors to choose from. The pair I was provided for this review was a Fury model in tortoiseshell with transition lenses. At first glance, the frames are similar to Ray-Ban styles I've tried, though there are some differences when you look closely. Instead of the familiar Ray-Ban logo etched onto the lenses and side of the frames, there's now a Meta ∞ logo. The charging case also has a different design; it folds flat similar to the case Meta uses with its display-enabled glasses. It's not as elegant as the classic Ray-Ban case, but I think I prefer the collapsible design because it's easier to slip into smaller purses and bags. There are other, more subtle details that made me miss some of the Ray-Ban styling. The Fury frames in particular are thicker and bulkier than most other glasses I've tried from Meta. At 60 grams, they're noticeably heavier than the Ray-Ban Optics frames with prescription lenses I recently reviewed. Still, I was pleasantly surprised that the glasses didn't slip much on my face despite the extra weight. Both the Fury and Adventurer frames come with adjustable nosepieces that are much easier to tweak than the removable ones that came with the Optics frames. The temple tips are also somewhat adjustable, though they're more suited for minor tweaks than the type of custom fit you'd get from an optician. But while the fit was good, the Fury frames aren't especially comfortable. There's a noticeable ridge that runs almost the entire length of each arm that creates uncomfortable pressure on the side of my head after a few hours. And the heavier frames dug into the…