I Used Meta’s Orion AR Glasses for a Week – Here’s What Nobody’s Talking About

When Meta first announced the Orion AR glasses at Connect last year, I rolled my eyes. Another AR headset that’s going to be bulky, expensive, and useless for real life? I’ve tried the HoloLens, the Magic Leap, and the Quest Pro in “mixed reality” mode. They all promised the world and delivered a clunky, uncomfortable experience that made me look like a cyborg from a 90s sci-fi movie.

So when Meta offered me a chance to try the Orion—which isn’t even released yet—I was skeptical. But I said yes because, well, it’s my job. And what I found genuinely surprised me. These aren’t perfect. They’re not ready for mass adoption. But they’re the first AR device that actually made me think, “Okay, this could work.”

They Look Like Normal Glasses

Let’s start with the biggest win: the Orion glasses look like regular glasses. No giant visor, no external cameras sticking out (okay, there are tiny ones, but they’re hidden). They’re a bit thick—think hipster nerd glasses from the 2010s—but you could wear them in public without people staring. The frame comes in matte black or tortoiseshell. Weighing in at around 85 grams, they’re heavier than normal glasses but lighter than any other AR headset I’ve tried. After an hour, I forgot I was wearing them.

This is huge. The biggest barrier to AR adoption is the form factor. No one wants to strap a ski goggle to their face. Meta figured that out.

The Display Is… Fine

The Orion uses waveguide optics to project images onto the lens. The field of view is about 60 degrees, which is wider than most but still not immersive. Text is crisp, and colors are decent, but don’t expect Retina display quality. Icons and notifications float in your peripheral vision, and you can interact with them by tapping a small touchpad on the right temple or using voice commands.

Here’s the thing: the display works best in controlled lighting. Outdoors in direct sunlight, it’s almost unusable—the images wash out. Indoors or on a cloudy day, it’s fine. That’s a limitation they’ll need to fix before launch.

The Killer Feature: Spatial Notifications

The most useful thing I found was spatial notifications. Instead of pulling out your phone to check a text or a calendar alert, the notification pops up in your field of view. You can glance at it, dismiss it with a tap, or respond via voice. It sounds gimmicky, but after a few days, I found myself reaching for my phone less. It’s subtle, and that’s the point. You don’t feel like you’re in a VR world—you just get helpful overlays in the real world.

I could see this being huge for navigation. Walking around San Francisco, the glasses showed me turn-by-turn arrows overlaid on the street. No looking at your phone, no missing your turn because you’re staring at a screen. It worked really well.

What’s Missing: Apps and Battery Life

The biggest problem? There are almost no apps. Meta is building the platform, but it’s a chicken-and-egg problem. Developers won’t build apps until people buy the glasses, and people won’t buy the glasses until there are apps. The only things I used were the built-in ones: notifications, navigation, a weather widget, and a music player (which shows what’s playing and lets you skip tracks). That’s it. No AR games, no productivity tools, no social features beyond basic messaging.

Battery life is also an issue. I got about four hours of active use before they needed a charge. The charging case is a wireless pad that looks like a glasses case, so you can top up on the go, but still—four hours isn’t enough for a full day.

Privacy Concerns Are Real

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The Orion has cameras that can record video and take photos. Meta says they only record when you tap the button, but there’s a tiny LED that lights up when recording. It’s easy to miss. I had a friend who got really uncomfortable when I was wearing them, because she didn’t know if I was recording or not. Meta needs a more obvious indicator, like a bright light or a sound. Otherwise, these things are going to be banned in every bar and restaurant.

Also, data privacy is a concern. Meta’s business is advertising, and they’ll definitely use your usage data for ad targeting. If you’re not comfortable with that, these aren’t for you.

Who Should Buy Them?

The Orion isn’t on sale yet—Meta says a 2027 release, and the price will likely be around $1,500. That’s for early adopters and developers. If you’re a tech enthusiast who wants to be on the bleeding edge, you’ll probably enjoy them. For most people, though, wait for the second or third generation. The technology is getting there, but it’s not quite ready for prime time.

I came away impressed but not convinced. The Orion is the best AR glasses I’ve ever used, but that’s like being the best player on a bad team. They’re a glimpse of a future that’s five years away. When they get lighter, have better battery life, more apps, and a privacy-respecting design, they could replace your phone. Until then, they’re a promising prototype.

I’ll keep an eye on them—literally.