Forget Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. We tested cheaper ones that support ChatGPT.

“Pfft! I bet this is yet another pair of music-playing smart glasses,” I yawned when I saw the AirGo 3 spectacles on display at CES 2023. I’ll admit I was a little jaded. At the annual Las Vegas tech trade show, Paula Abdul was hawking her own pair of audio-emitting smart glasses, and I was unimpressed. They were fragile, uninspired, and quite frankly, plain ol’ boring.

However, I’m grateful that I didn’t let Abdul’s disappointing smart glasses stop me from trying on another pair at CES – one that is pushed by a company called Solos. Yes, it plays music, but my jaw dropped at how it reproduces audio (more on this later). Eight months later, the spectacles have changed significantly since I last saw them. There’s even a new competitor on the market: Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. But I don’t think Solos has much to worry about.

Yes, these smart glasses support ChatGPT

AirGo 3’s line of smart glasses has two offerings that run on ChatGPT – SolosChat and SolosTranslate – that you can access via the Solos AirGo companion app. SolosChat lets you press and hold an action button on the smart glasses’ right temple to ask ChatGPT a question. In response, you’ll see the reply populate before your eyes in the app, and you can hear the answer read out to you, too. 

SolosTranslate is another ChatGPT-supported service, which is probably my favorite as someone who loves to learn new languages. As an English speaker, I can, again, press and hold the action button and say anything out loud. Next, I’ll get translation in the app for one of nine supported languages, including French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Me wearing AirGo 3 smart glasses
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

I had a blast playing with Solos Translate. It transcribed my speech in the app and translated it to my language of choice in seconds. Dear reader, this is gold. I played Vogue’s YouTube episode of “El Bolso de Jennifer Lopez’‘ on my laptop, and the ChatGPT-supported smart glasses transcribed Lopez’s speech before rolling out an accurate and precise Spanish-to-English translation. I also used these glasses to watch Univison’s Enamorándonos, a Spanish-language dating TV show. I sometimes get lost in what’s going on, but thanks to these smart glasses, I can translate conversations I don’t understand.

Music sounds divine on the AirGo 3 smart glasses

I own a pair of AirPods Pro and they drive me up the wall. They slip out of my ears so often while I’m commuting, I’m surprised they haven’t dropped onto the subway train tracks yet. I also have a pair of Sony’s WH1000XM4 headphones, and while they sound divine and sit comfortably on my head, they’re not the most portable.

My colleague TJ Fink demos the AirGo 3 smart glasses
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon/Mashable

The AirGo 3 smart glasses somewhat rectifies the issues I face with the headphones I own. I can listen to music on these bad boys without worrying about a wayward earbud falling out while I walk (ahem, I’m looking at you AirPods Pro), but I can easily fold it and stuff it into my bag’s front pocket (whereas my Sony XM4’s are too bulky to fit inside).

Solos claims that its smartglasses deliver high-quality spatial audio, and they’re spot on. I fired up Spotify on the AirGo 3s and launched the Hot Hits USA playlist. I listened to Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” and the snappy tune sounded crisp, punchy, and clear. There are three sound profiles you can choose from in the Solos AirGo 3 companion app: Balanced, Dynamic and Relaxed. Balanced sounded the most honeyed to me, but according to the app, Dynamic is ideal for hip-hop while Relaxed is optimized for jazz and classical music. I can also take calls with the AirGo 3s. When I tested this feature myself, the person on the other end sounded pristine; they also told me that they heard me “loud and clear.”

Designed like thick-armed reading glasses

The review unit Solos sent me are black – just how I like ‘em. They’re lightweight, and from the front, they look like any other pair of reading glasses. However, the smart glasses’ arms are much thicker than your typical pair of spectacles, making room for all the tech that makes it, well, smart. The thick arms abruptly transition into ultra-thin temple tips, giving them an unorthodox appearance. The temples look strange, but the average Joe wouldn’t know they’re smart glasses – just an, er, interesting style choice.

The temples are actually removable, so you can swap the frames for other options in the AirGo 3 lineup.

AirGo 3 smart glasses
Credit: Solos

For example, you can grab one of these reddish-orange, reflective, single-lens shades that are reminiscent of snowboarding goggles.

AirGo 3 smart glasses
Credit: Solos

If you wear glasses, don’t worry. You can swap the lenses with prescription ones.

Setup is easier than I thought it’d be

After charging the AirGo 3 smart glasses, I long-pressed the button on the right temple for two seconds to turn it on. I then heard a voice that told me the battery status (e.g., “Power high”). For Bluetooth pairing, I pressed the same button for five seconds and connected it to my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

I then downloaded the Solos AirGo companion app via the Google Play Store, which guides the user through the setup process as well as providing a mini tutorial on how to use the touch-activated controls. The basics are the following:

• Single tap to play/pause

• Long press to skip an audio track

• Double press to go to previous audio track

• Swipe left/right for volume up and down

• Slide finger on touch sensor toward ears to accept calls

• Slide finger on touch sensor away from ears to decline calls

Most touch controls were smooth and seamless, but the play/pause function (e.g., a single tap anywhere on the temples) did not respond. Keep in mind, however, that the AirGo 3 smart glasses I have are a prototype. An acquaintance who also has a pair had no issues with single tapping to play and pause his music tracks. Solos will be sending me a review unit soon. Once I get my hands on it, I’ll update this article with my play/pause experience.

How are the AirGo 3s different from Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses?

Before we dive into how the AirGo 3s differ from the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, let’s discuss how they’re similar. They both support some form of AI. AirGo 3s, as mentioned, support ChatGPT, allowing you to ask it almost any question you want, from the greatest way to reheat a pizza to which countries were under the Roman Empire’s rule. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses use Meta AI, the social media tech giant’s newly debuted ChatGPT rival, which will become more sophisticated next year with a free software update. This upgrade will allow the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to “understand” what you’re looking at. For example, if you want to know the name of the building you’re standing in front of, it will tell you. Meta also claims that it can translate signs and menus for you, too.

AirGo 3 smart glasses
Credit: Solos

They both also allow you to take calls and play music. However, where they differ is that the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses can capture video and photos; the AirGo 3s do not. It’s also worth noting that the AirGo 3s’ companion app has a lot more to play with. For example, you can track metrics like steps, calories, and more in the app, making it excellent as a workout companion. And don’t worry about sweat. It has an IP67 waterproof rating, making it better than the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses’ IPX4 rating.

Plus, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses reportedly lasts up to four hours on a single charge. Solos claims that it lasts about double that (up to 10 hours), which matches my personal experience with the spectacles.

Final thoughts

The AirGo 3s are the most sophisticated, cutting-edge tech product I’ve tested this year. You mean to tell me I can access ChatGPT, which can spew out answers to any questions I ask and translate foreign speech into my own, directly on my face? How wild is that? Plus, the spatial audio that emanates from these spectacles is surprisingly crisp, tickling my ear with high-quality sound. It may not match my Sony XM4’s in quality (and it’s not designed to), but its portability makes it a feasible alternative for my early-morning commute.

Save for the single tap foible, all touch controls are responsive, seamless and intuitive. Move over, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. There’s a new pair of spectacles ready to snatch your crown. The AirGo 3 smart glasses start at $199 (much cheaper than its rival’s $299 price tag) and you can get ’em at Solosglasses.com.