← Meta Ray-Ban
Adam Savage’s Tested
The State of Smart Glasses Hardware in 2026
⏱ 31 min video · 3 min read15 May 2026
TL;DR
Norm from Tested compares the Meta Rayban Display ($800) and Even Realities G2 ($600) -- the two most capable consumer smart glasses with HUD displays in mid-2026. His verdict: neither is worth buying yet, but both reveal important design lessons for what smart glasses need to become.
Key points
1
Neither product is recommended for average consumers -- both are early-adopter tech demos at best, with significant trade-offs in battery, weight, functionality, and third-party app access.
2
Meta Rayban Display uses a monocular full-color LCOS display with Lumus geometric waveguides (less eye-glow, 3-4 hour battery), while Even Realities G2 uses binocular monochrome microLED with standard waveguides (strong eye-glow, 1-2 day battery).
3
Meta's neural wristband is the standout input innovation -- detecting micro finger gestures without line-of-sight, no calibration needed, and recently unlocked in-air handwriting for message replies.
4
Weight is a critical differentiator: Even Realities G2 is 38g and feels like normal glasses; Meta Rayban Display is 69g and causes noticeable nose fatigue once the battery dies.
5
Third-party app ecosystems are immature on both platforms -- Meta just opened web-based developer access, while Even Realities G2 third-party apps run as phone processes with text-only, low-refresh output.
Verdict
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If forced to choose: Even Realities G2 wins on comfort, binocular display, and all-day battery, but loses on color, audio, and input versatility.
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Meta Rayban Display wins on display color quality, microphone array, speakers for calls/music, and the neural wristband -- but the 69g weight and 2-4 hour battery are dealbreakers for daily wear.
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Norm's ideal smart glasses checklist: binocular full-color display, good mic and speakers, neural-band-style gesture input, no camera (save weight/battery), and lighter than 50g -- a benchmark no current product meets.
Notable quotes
“I think it's the right choice that Even Reality made to not put a camera. It means that this is a far lighter pair of glasses. This is 38 grams with prescription lenses compared to 69 grams on Meta Rayban Display.”
“69 grams -- that ain't it. That is way too heavy.”
“I don't think anyone's going to get $800 worth of value from Meta Rayban Display or $600 worth of value from the Even Reality G2.”
Worth watching?
⏭️
Worth watching the full video?
The key specs, trade-offs, and Norm's full verdict are all captured here -- skip the video unless you want to see the live display footage and in-lens capture demos, which do add visual context.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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