You can finally preorder the Oakley Meta smart glasses, but there's a catch

• Meta's Oakley glasses are up for preorder ahead of a July 22 launch
• The limited edition glasses will cost $499 / £499 / AU$789
• Cheaper Oakleys are set to arrive "later this Summer"

The wait is finally over. Meta’s Oakley smart glasses are finally available to preorder ahead of their July 22 launch, though there's a catch. Only its pricier limited edition HSTN are available for now; other designs are coming “later this summer” (that’s Northern Hemisphere summer for our Aussie readers, so later this month or August).

The Limited Edition Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced how-stuhn) is on preorder at Meta.com for $499 / £499 / AU$789. In exchange, you’ll get white-framed specs with PRIZM 24K polarized lenses, which are apparently well-suited to playing sports in bright conditions.

Beyond their capabilities as regular glasses, these smart glasses live up to that descriptor by boasting a camera which can capture 3K video (a higher resolution than the Meta Ray-Ban glasses), built-in open ear speakers for music and hearing what the Meta AI companion has to tell you (as well as microphones so the AI can hear you), and a battery that can last for up to 8 hours of regular use (again, better than their Ray-Ban sibling).

With their charging case, these specs can squeeze out up to an extra 48 hours of use.

Should you wait? Probably

Now, I haven’t tested these glasses for myself, yet, but I constantly use my Ray-Ban smart glasses and after my phone (and maybe my VR headset), they’re easily the best gadget I own.

And these Oakley specs are just Ray-Bans with a different design, a few technical upgrades, and unfortunately, a higher price.

Things should get a little better in the coming month or so when the other six Oakley smart glasses designs launch. For context, they are:

• Oakley Meta HSTN Desert with PRIZM Ruby Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with PRIZM Polar Black Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Shiny Brown with PRIZM Polar Deep-Water Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Black with Transitions Amethyst Lenses
• Oakley Meta HSTN Clear with Transitions Grey Lenses

That’s because these specs are set to introduce a new lower starting price of $399 / £399 / $629. However, this would still be higher than the cheapest Ray-Bans at $299 / £299 / AU$449, and much like the Ray-Bans, I expect the Oakley specs will get pricier if you opt for snazzier lenses – the Ray-Bans instead cost you $329 / £329 / AU$489 for polarized and $379 / £379 / AU$539 for transition lenses.

If you’re an athlete, the Oakleys could be a worthwhile upgrade, especially with PRIZM lenses tuned to a sport you play.

Those of you simply looking to get the best smart glasses tech, however, might want to wait and see what Meta showcases at Meta Connect in September, where it's expected to debut smart glasses with a screen.

Yes, they’re likely going to be very pricey, however they are also believed to offer a truly next-gen experience – so if you’re tempted to upgrade your Ray-Bans and budget isn’t a concern, you might want to hold off a little longer (or be prepared to buy Oakleys, and then yet another pair of Meta smart glasses).

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