It’s Tuesday afternoon, February 3, 2026, and if you’ve been waiting to ditch the smartwatch for something a bit more… Iron Man, the Oakley Meta Vanguard just officially landed in India. This isn’t just a pair of shades with a camera slapped on; it’s basically a high-performance training partner that happens to sit on your face.
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The thing is, at ₹52,300, these are priced significantly higher than the casual Ray-Ban Meta models. But for serious athletes, it’s about the “Athletic Intelligence.” Or nothing.
The Vanguard Specs: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where Meta is moving from “social media” tech to “performance” tech. Here’s the ground reality:
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The POV 3K Camera: The 12MP camera is centered right above your nose, not tucked in a corner. It shoots in 3K resolution with a 122-degree wide-angle lens. The kicker? It has an autocapture feature—it can trigger a recording when it detects a “personal best” pace or a massive elevation spike. Those too.
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The Garmin Connection: This is the game-changer. You can sync these with your Garmin watch or bike computer. You don’t have to look at your wrist; you just ask, “Hey Meta, how’s my pace?” and it whispers your stats into your ears via open-ear speakers. There’s even a small LED in your peripheral vision that changes color to show if you’re in your target heart rate zone. And then the sweat-proof training followed.
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The “Deepika” Assistant: For the India launch, Meta AI now supports full Hindi voice commands. You can control your music, send a WhatsApp, or ask for directions in Hindi. Plus, you can set the AI’s voice to Deepika Padukone. Let’s be real—having a Bollywood superstar tell you you’re crushing your 10k run is a pretty solid motivator.
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Built for the Grind: These have an IP67 rating, meaning they are fully dust and water-resistant. You can wear them in a downpour or on a dusty trail. The battery lasts about 9 hours, which is nearly double what the Ray-Bans offer. Or nothing.
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Oakley Vanguard vs. Ray-Ban Meta (2026)
| Feature | Oakley Meta Vanguard | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) |
| Price (India) | ₹52,300 | ~₹29,990 |
| Camera | Centered 3K (POV) | Corner 1080p/3K |
| Durability | IP67 (Waterproof/Dust) | IPX4 (Splash-proof) |
| Battery Life | ~9 Hours | ~4-5 Hours |
| Fitness Sync | Garmin / Strava / Connect IQ | Basic Tracking |
| Lens Tech | PRIZM (Sport-specific) | Polarized / Transitions |
And Here’s the Kicker…
The frames are designed with Oakley’s Three-Point Fit and swappable nose pads. The thing is, they’re specifically shaped to fit under cycling helmets and over running caps without digging into your temples. Those too.
One side comment—while the AI supports UPI Lite, meaning you can theoretically look at a QR code and say “Hey Meta, pay 50 rupees,” the feature is still rolling out across all Indian banks. It’s a bit messy. Authentic, but definitely a glimpse into the “post-smartphone” world. It’s an ongoing situation. Or nothing.
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