Oakley Meta Vanguard: Garmin gets smart-glasses integration
The Oakley Meta Vanguard is a new pair of smart glasses. We've previously covered similar wearables, including models tailored to athletes. Although the Oakley Meta Vanguard is, strictly speaking, a pair of AR glasses, it lacks a display and can’t deliver information visually to the user. Instead, it relies solely on audio cues provided by two discreet open-ear speakers. According to official information, these speakers can deliver high-quality audio at wind speeds of up to 50 km/h (approximately 31 mph) – a speed easily reached when riding downhill on a road bike. Given the focus on audio interaction, it's no surprise the Oakley Meta Vanguard accepts voice commands via an array of five microphones: one each in the left and right temples, and another three in the nose area.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard features a 12 MP ultrawide camera with a 122° field of view. It is capable of taking photos at 3,024 x 4,032 pixels and recording videos at Full HD/60 fps or 3K/30 fps. Designed to last up to 9 hours on a single charge, the device comes with a charging case that extends the overall battery life to 36 hours. It also includes 32 GB of flash storage, supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and is compatible with both Android and iOS.
Developed in partnership with Garmin, the Vanguard's fitness features are amongst its key selling points. As a result, it is compatible with a range of Garmin smartwatches and bike computers, including the Garmin Fenix 8 and Edge 840. Users can request various performance metrics (such as heart rate) using their voice, and status LEDs provide general information about these parameters. Garmin says the AI glasses can also automatically capture videos based on training milestones and performance metrics. That said, the device can still function without being paired with Garmin devices. Available in several lens colours, the Oakley Meta Vanguard can now be preordered for $499 (€549).
