In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.
When I got the Ray-Ban Stories back in 2021, I imagined a world where I would wear my glasses all day and freely document my daily life. While battery life still hinders this dream from becoming a reality, I often wear my AI glasses (as they're now known) whenever I leave the house or go for a run.
Like a smartwatch (which I also don't wear 24/7), my Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses have given me a new way to document my most special workouts and provide real insight into how I'm progressing over the course of my lifelong fitness journey.
I recently wore these glasses during a 5K Spartan Race and recorded every obstacle and running segment on the course. This means I can go back and check my exact performance on each obstacle the next time I run a Spartan — something I do multiple times per year — and highlight what I need to improve for the next run. It's an invaluable tool that's become part of my regular arsenal, especially now that Meta has substantially improved video recording stability via a free software update.
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This is Sparta
For the past few years, I have worn a bevy of fitness-tracking equipment at Spartan Races. This is mainly because it's my job to track these sorts of events and compare devices, but this year has seen a new addition to the collection: Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses. The first time I ran with these was in early August at a rather muddy Spartan Race, and this time was on a perfect, cloud-free, extra-sunny 70-degree day.
The experience couldn't have been more different, but both times, Oakley Meta HSTNs made it all the way through the race without missing a beat. Now, that's not to say it recorded the entire race. The maximum recording time for a video from any pair of Meta AI glasses is 3 minutes, and I never recorded long enough to reach that limit.
Instead, I long-press the recording button before approaching any obstacle, then tap it again to end the recording. This ensured that I had enough battery to record every obstacle, plus some running segments, but just barely so. I ended the 1-hour and 9-minute race with 4% battery remaining on the glasses after all the videos and photos had been synced with my phone.
In total, I recorded 31 minutes and 49 seconds of video, all captured at 30FPS, 1700p resolution, and in HDR with stabilization. As I showed in my initial batch of testing with Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, using the "1080p" setting provides the best balance of quality and stabilization, while also allowing for longer battery life — something that's very important during an event where you can't just stop and charge the glasses.
But this also shows that there are still substantial limitations to these glasses. Being able to record every obstacle in a race this long is great, but I couldn't have done that in any of the longer Spartan Races offered. Apparently, my stamina matches that of Meta's AI glasses, but more seasoned runners will likely find this battery life to be inadequate.
The most obvious modern "solution" to this would be to get a newer Garmin watch and enable the new Garmin x Meta integration, something my colleague Michael Hicks tested during a recent marathon. This would ensure that clips are recorded only at specific milestones, such as every mile marker or at the end of the race. It then stitches together a nice montage video that's easily shareable on social media.
But as Hicks points out, the clips are "mostly stitched-together footage of random moments of my runs, none especially noteworthy unless I took them myself." That doesn't sound like a good fit for a Spartan Race to me, though I'd need to test that specifically once I get a newer Garmin watch.
But aside from video, I really like how Meta AI summarizes the runs. Not only does it get relevant data from the run itself — fueled by the Garmin Watch integration and visual data from the glasses — but it also ties in recent workout data to give you a better explanation of your overall performance.
In my case, I'm simply not a runner, but I'm working on improving that part of the workout. This Garmin x Meta integration clearly does a good job of summarizing what's been going on with my recent workout data, something I'm not particularly good at on my own.
Even with an older Garmin watch, the integration automatically imported my run and stored it in the Meta AI app's "workouts" section, complete with a Meta AI summary of my progress and associated media I captured. Since I haven't run a race like this with the watch before this test, it didn't have much data to work with, but it makes me excited to see what it cobbles together next time!
Aside from running, which I already knew I struggled with going in, I realize I need to work on pulling my torso over higher obstacles (6 feet and higher walls), as well as the niche skill of throwing a javelin into a bale of hay. Without the video evidence, I surely would have forgotten these things by the next time I have to run, and that's a huge part of why I love wearing Oakley or Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses during these events!
Oakley Meta HSTN are part of the latest generation of Meta AI glasses, sporting 3K cameras, excellent stabilization, trademark Oakley PRIZM lenses, 8 hours of battery life, and great integration with Garmin smart watches.
FAQ
What are the key technical features of the Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses?
Oakley Meta HSTN are part of the latest generation of Meta AI glasses. They include a 3K camera, video stabilization, IPX4 water resistance, and offer approximately 8 hours of battery life.
How long can you record videos on the Oakley Meta HSTN?
The Oakley Meta HSTN can record up to 3-minute videos. The glasses default to 30-second videos via one-touch controls, although you can change this to 60-second or 3 minute videos in the Meta AI app.
What fitness app integrations do the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses support?
Oakley Meta HSTN can be integrated with Garmin devices, allowing you to ask for your stats in real-time, automatically capture footage, and indicate if you're in range for various targets.
Users can also integrate the Meta AI app with Strava to overlay real-time data with with photos and video captured on the glasses.
