Ray-Ban Meta glasses get a genuinely useful upgrade that all wearers will likely use – and it doesn't need the camera

Meta has made a couple of updates to its smart glasses – including the popular Ray-Bans – that bring new features, without involving the controversial camera.

The glasses now support navigation directions for walking, meaning you can ask Meta AI to navigate to a location and it will be able to do that without getting your phone out of your pocket.

This functionality arrives with version 128, designed to give pedestrian support for short distances, so you can quickly find a local address, coffee shop or attraction.

I tried it in the UK and in all cases, Meta AI sent the instructions to my phone instead. That's not the end of the world, because Meta AI glasses can still give you the audio instructions from your phone that you'd normally get with Google Maps or other mapping software.

The benefit in version 128 is that you don't need to access your phone to get it to work – but it doesn't appear to offer a complete experience in the UK right yet. There's also the option to share a location from your phone (via the share card) directly to your glasses, but when I tried that in the UK, it also said it wasn't yet supported.

Elsewhere, Meta has tweaked the audio in version 129. This allows you to turn off stereo and stick to mono through the speakers instead, while you can also shift the audio balance, left and right to suit your preference.

While Meta AI glasses have been under attack in the press, following reports of unwelcome recording and earning the name "pervert glasses", Meta has responded by releasing a version that only offers audio.

And while smart glasses are under attack – including being banned from various locations – we're now starting to see a shift in the narrative, especially when it come to accessibility.

Smart glasses, including AI recognition from the cameras, is a boon for those who are visually impaired. Being able to ask about objects can help with daily tasks, as reported by the BBC.

There's a fear that the backlash against smart glasses will leave those who have visual impairment struggling with another setback – while being branded a pervert for using them.

For those enjoying the benefits of having access to this information and assistance without using a smartphone, these updates, especially the navigation, represent real change.