Meta Will Sell You Refurbished Ray-ban Smart Glasses For $76 Off - How To Find Them

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

Meta Ray-Bans person often been very difficult to find successful banal astatine some retailers and online stores for nan past 2 years -- and they seldom spell connected sale. But 1 of nan champion ways to not only get a 20% discount but besides find immoderate of nan styles that person been discontinued aliases are seldom ever successful banal is to usage nan little-known Meta Refurbished AI Glasses online store. 

I precocious ordered a brace of Meta Ray-Bans successful nan Skylar style pinch nan Shiny Caramel decorativeness pinch Polar Brown lenses. If you've followed Meta Ray-Bans, past you've astir apt seen these earlier because they are successful a batch of nan Meta promotional materials. The frames themselves are semi-transparent, truthful you tin spot a batch of nan exertion inside. And nan lenses person that amber tint that's celebrated successful tons of sunglasses because it gives nan world a spot of lukewarm orangish glow. 

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I was capable to bargain these for $263, moreover though they usually unit for $329. Other configurations, for illustration nan black pinch bluish modulation lenses, were arsenic overmuch arsenic $76 off. As of nan penning of this article, Meta's refurbished store was trading nan Wayfarer, Headliner, and Skyler styles. The Wayfarer is nan astir communal style, while nan Headliner and Skyler tin beryllium much difficult to find.

Also: 5 Meta Ray-Ban upgrades I want to spot connected September 17

When my transparent brownish Meta Ray-Bans arrived, they were successful nan original container and it was unopened, pinch nan perforated propulsion tag still successful cleanable information -- nary different than nan container of nan original brace of achromatic Meta Ray-Bans I bought erstwhile nan merchandise first launched 2 years ago.

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

When I opened nan box, everything was successful cleanable order, conscionable for illustration a caller pair. All nan accessories, booklets, polishing cloth, and moreover nan insubstantial protectors complete nan arms of nan glasses were each conscionable arsenic they are successful nan packaging of a marque caller brace of Meta Ray-Bans that you'd bargain astatine unit aliases online. 

I pulled nan small protective tab wrong nan lawsuit to activate charging and plugged nan lawsuit into a USB. After astir 30 minutes, I opened nan Meta AI app, tapped nan glasses fastener connected nan acold right, deed nan positive motion successful nan precocious correct corner, and tapped connected nan Ray-Ban | Meta button. 

Also: I tried Meta's caller Oakley smart glasses successful my accumulation workplace - my verdict arsenic a contented creator

The package instantly recognized that a brace of glasses was successful a lawsuit nearby. I accepted nan punctual and tapped done nan menus. 

I pulled nan glasses retired of nan lawsuit and examined them, and they were successful cleanable condition. I put them connected and instantly started utilizing them for illustration nan different pairs of Meta Ray-Bans I've been testing and utilizing for nan past mates years. 

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

What does refurbished really mean for a tech product?

So if these are conscionable for illustration caller and sold astatine a discount, past what does it mean erstwhile you bargain a refurbished tech product? These are typically products that person been lightly utilized and a customer returned aliases traded successful for different product, aliases that primitively had mini defects. They spell backmost to nan shaper for inspection, cleaning, repair (if needed), and different information of value assurance. 

Also: Google's upcoming AI smart glasses whitethorn yet person maine to move to a brace full-time

They are past repacked, often successful nan aforesaid original packaging arsenic caller products. However, some nan US and nan European Union person regulations that require refurbished products to beryllium marked and sold arsenic refurbished, and can't beryllium passed disconnected arsenic caller products. That's why they are typically discounted, moreover though successful galore cases they are arsenic bully arsenic new. 

In nan lawsuit of refurbished Meta Ray-Bans, erstwhile you bargain done nan Meta Refurbished AI Glasses online store, past Meta offers a 30-day return argumentation and a 1-year warranty. Based connected my experience, I person nary problem recommending that you bargain a refurbished brace of these smart glasses, if 1 of nan styles you for illustration is available.

ZDNET's buying advice

Keep successful mind that Meta is apt to unveil its next-generation Meta Ray-Bans Smart Glasses connected September 17 astatine its Meta Connect event. These could person caller features for illustration longer artillery life and amended cameras -- 2 of nan items connected my wish list. It's unclear if they will beryllium much expensive, but it appears imaginable if they are integrating amended exertion and there's besides nan uncertain US tariff business that could effect nan costs of parts. 

The precocious released Oakley Meta Smart Glasses person immoderate bully tech upgrades and unit for $400-$500. That could beryllium an denotation of wherever nan prices of nan caller Meta Ray-Bans are going to land. If that's nan case, nan woody connected these refurbished Meta Ray-Bans could look moreover better.