Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)
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| Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Smart glasses |
| Subtype | Wearable camera |
| Platform | iOS, Android |
| Creator | Meta Platforms, EssilorLuxottica |
| Manufacturer | EssilorLuxottica |
| Announcement Date | September 17, 2025 |
| Release Date | September 17, 2025 |
| Price | Starting at $379 USD; Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics styles from $499 USD |
| AI Wiki | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) |
| Versions | Wayfarer (Standard, Large), Skyler, Headliner; Blayzer Optics (Standard, Large) and Scriber Optics (added April 2026) |
| Requires | Smartphone (iOS or Android), Meta AI app, Meta account, Wi-Fi |
| Predecessor | Ray-Ban Meta |
| Successor | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) |
| System | |
| Operating System | Proprietary Meta firmware |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | None (audio and AI only, no visual overlay) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Clear, polarized, Transitions, or prescription lenses |
| Tracking | |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Open-ear speakers (two) |
| Microphone | Five-microphone array (six on Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics) |
| Camera | 12 MP ultra-wide (3K video, up to 3 minutes per clip) |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Ports | USB-C (on charging case) |
| Battery Life | Up to 8 hours typical use (glasses); up to 48 additional hours with charging case |
| Device | |
| Weight | 51 g (Wayfarer, standard fit) |
| Input | Capture button, capacitive touchpad, voice ("Hey Meta"); action button on Optics styles |
| Compliance | IPX4 water resistant |
The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) is a line of smart glasses developed through the partnership between Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban. It is the second generation of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and was announced on September 17, 2025, at Meta Connect, with a starting price of $379 and availability beginning the same day in most markets where the line is sold.[1][2]
Like the first-generation Ray-Ban Meta released in 2023, the Gen 2 glasses combine Ray-Ban eyewear designs with an integrated camera, open-ear speakers, a microphone array, and the Meta AI voice assistant. They do not include a visual display and do not overlay digital content onto the wearer's view, instead focusing on hands-free photo and video capture, audio playback, calls, and voice-driven AI assistance.[3] The headline changes over the 2023 model are roughly double the on-glasses battery life and higher-resolution 3K video capture.[1] The Gen 2 is a separate product from the Meta Ray-Ban Display, also unveiled at Meta Connect 2025, which adds an in-lens heads-up display and ships with the Meta Neural Band wristband; the Gen 2 has neither.[4][3]
In March 2026 Meta added two prescription-oriented frame styles to the line, Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics, starting at $499.[5] Its successor, the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), went on sale on September 23, 2026, at Meta Connect 2026, starting at $449.[6] TechRadar reported on September 24, 2026, that the Gen 2 remained on sale at its original starting price in all three original styles after the Gen 3 launch.[7]
History
Meta and EssilorLuxottica introduced the first-generation Ray-Ban Meta in September 2023, which itself succeeded the Ray-Ban Stories of 2021.[1] The Gen 2 was announced at Meta Connect on September 17, 2025, alongside the Meta Ray-Ban Display and the Oakley Meta Vanguard.[3][8] Meta described the Gen 2 as the second generation of its most popular camera glasses and made it available the same day in the United States and several other markets, with the first-generation model remaining on sale at its lower $299 starting price.[2] Meta also stated that availability would extend to additional markets, including Mexico and India, later in the fall of 2025.[1] Launch pricing was listed as $379 USD, $519 CAD, $599 AUD, £379 and €419.[9]
Optics styles (2026)
On March 31, 2026, Meta and EssilorLuxottica announced the Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics (Gen 2) and Ray-Ban Meta Scriber Optics (Gen 2), which Meta called its first AI glasses built for prescriptions. Blayzer Optics is a rectangular frame offered in Standard and Large sizes, and Scriber Optics is a rounder frame. Pre-orders opened in the United States on Meta.com and Ray-Ban.com the same day at a starting price of $499, with retail availability beginning April 14, 2026, in the US and select international markets.[5] Road to VR and UploadVR both reported the launch, with UploadVR noting that Scriber Optics comes in a single size.[10][11]
Compared with the other Gen 2 styles, the Optics frames have overextension hinges, interchangeable nose pads and optician-adjustable temple tips, and Meta states that they support nearly all prescriptions.[5][10] According to UploadVR, the hinges open 10 degrees wider than standard, and the Optics models are otherwise almost identical to the rest of the Gen 2 lineup, with the same 8-hour battery rating; the one difference it identified is an extra microphone near the nose pads, for six microphones instead of five. Their charging case is dark brown.[11] Meta's support documentation also describes a configurable action button on the Optics glasses, located at the end of the capture button on the right temple, which can be set in the Meta AI app to activate Meta AI, run custom prompts or capture video in alternate modes such as slow motion or hyperlapse.[12]
Successor and Meta Connect 2026
At Meta Connect 2026, Meta announced three color updates for the Optics styles for the fall: two limited-time seasonal colors for Blayzer Optics, Shiny Brick Brown and Shiny Transparent Ocean Blue, and, for a limited time, its core Transparent Dark Olive color on Scriber Optics.[13][14][11] At the same event Meta released the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), which it rates for up to nine hours of battery life, an hour more than the Gen 2, and which uses a six-microphone array.[6][15] The Gen 3 starting price of $449 is $70 higher than the Gen 2's.[16] Of the Gen 2 frame shapes, only the Wayfarer carried over to the Gen 3, which added Aviator and Zena styles.[16] TechRadar reported that the Gen 2's $379 / £379 / AU$599 starting price had not dropped after the Gen 3's arrival and that the Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner styles were all still available to buy.[7]
Hardware
The Gen 2 is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform, the same processor used in the first-generation Ray-Ban Meta, and includes 32 GB of onboard storage.[17][18] Wireless connectivity uses Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, and the frames carry an IPX4 rating for resistance to splashes.[9]
Camera
The glasses use a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and add 3K Ultra HD video capture, which Meta describes as more than twice the pixels of the previous generation.[1][3] Video can be recorded in three modes: 3K at 30 frames per second, 1440p at 30 frames per second, and 1200p at 60 frames per second, with each mode limited to clips of up to three minutes; 3K resolution and 60 frames per second cannot be used at the same time.[19][4] Meta stated that ultrawide HDR and additional video modes, including hyperlapse and slow motion, would be added to its glasses through a software update later in the fall of 2025.[2][3]
Audio
The glasses retain two open-ear speakers in the temples for music, podcasts, and call audio, and a five-microphone array used for calls, voice commands, and audio recording.[9][18] Android Central lists the microphone layout as two in each arm and one near the nose pad.[9] The Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics models add a sixth microphone near the nose pads.[11]
Battery
Meta rates the glasses for up to eight hours of battery life with typical use, which it describes as almost twice the battery life of the first-generation Ray-Ban Meta.[1][19] The included charging case provides up to 48 additional hours of charge on the go, an increase from the 32 hours offered by the previous case, and the glasses can reach 50 percent charge in about 20 minutes.[1][2]
Design
The Gen 2 keeps the appearance of standard Ray-Ban frames, with the technology built into acetate frames. It is offered in the same three base styles as the first generation: Wayfarer (in Standard and Large sizes), Skyler, and Headliner.[2][3] The glasses are sold in black and tan finishes alongside additional limited-time seasonal colors, and lens choices include clear, polarized, photochromic Transitions, and prescription options fitted through EssilorLuxottica.[2] Meta cited 27 frame and lens combinations at launch.[9][7] Limited-edition launch colors included a Wayfarer in Shiny Cosmic Blue with Transitions Sapphire lenses, a Skyler in Shiny Mystic Violet with Transitions Amethyst lenses, and a Headliner in Shiny Asteroid Grey with Transitions Emerald lenses.[9]
In March 2026 Meta added three spring and summer combinations for the original styles: Skyler in Shiny Transparent Peach with Transitions Brown lenses, Headliner in Matte Transparent Peach with Transitions Grey lenses, and Wayfarer in Shiny Transparent Grey with Transitions Sapphire lenses.[5] Blayzer Optics launched in Matte Black, Shiny Transparent Black, Matte Transparent Ice Grey and Shiny Transparent Dark Olive, and Scriber Optics in Matte Black, Shiny Transparent Black, Transparent Shiny Stone Beige and Transparent Shiny Umber.[11]
Engadget gives the standard-fit Gen 2 Wayfarer a width of 131 mm from hinge to hinge, 150 mm temples and a weight of 51 grams.[16] According to Engadget, the Gen 2 has a capture button that works only with the camera features, while the action button carried over to the Gen 3 was first introduced on the Ray-Ban Meta Optics styles.[16]
Software
The Gen 2 integrates Meta AI, activated by the phrase "Hey Meta," for hands-free questions, capture, playback control, and camera-based assistance such as identifying objects in view.[4] At announcement, Meta expanded the glasses' live translation feature to add German and Portuguese, bringing support to six languages for back-and-forth conversation, with offline use available in airplane mode using pre-downloaded language packs.[1] Meta also announced a conversation focus feature that uses the open-ear speakers to amplify the voice of the person a wearer is speaking with in noisy environments; it was described as arriving through a software update rather than at launch.[1][20] In December 2025, Meta's v21 software update began rolling out conversation focus to members of its Early Access Program for Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN glasses in the United States and Canada.[21] The glasses pair with the Meta AI companion app for iOS and Android, which is used to import and edit captured media, manage settings, and update firmware, and a Meta account is required.[3]
According to Engadget, most of the software features Meta announced alongside the Gen 3 in September 2026 will also be available on Gen 2 glasses, including an FDA-cleared hearing enhancement feature, access to Meta's Muse AI agent, and a dynamic photo capture mode that takes several shots at once so the wearer can choose the best framing.[16]
Comparison with the 2023 Ray-Ban Meta
| Feature | Ray-Ban Meta (2023) | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | 12 MP ultra-wide | 12 MP ultra-wide |
| Maximum video | 1080p, up to 60 seconds | 3K, up to 3 minutes |
| Battery (glasses) | Up to about 4 hours | Up to about 8 hours |
| Charging case | Up to 32 hours | Up to 48 hours |
| Fast charge | Not specified | 50% in about 20 minutes |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 |
| Storage | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Microphones | 5 | 5 |
| Starting price | $299 | $379 |
Sources: Meta launch materials and reporting for each generation.[1][3][19][18]
Comparison with Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3)
| Feature | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery (glasses) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 9 hours |
| Charging case | Up to 48 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Microphones | 5 | 6 |
| Button | Capture button (camera features only); Optics styles add an action button | Action button (Meta AI, capture or shortcuts) |
| Frame styles | Wayfarer, Skyler, Headliner, Blayzer Optics, Scriber Optics | Wayfarer, Aviator, Zena |
| Wayfarer width (standard fit) | 131 mm | 129 mm |
| Wayfarer temple length | 150 mm | 149 mm |
| Wayfarer weight | 51 g | 51.5 g |
| Starting price | $379 | $449 |
Reception
Coverage of the announcement framed the Gen 2 as an incremental refresh of an already popular product, with the longer battery life, faster charging, and 3K video described as the most notable upgrades while the underlying processor, storage, and overall design carried over from the 2023 model.[19][3] Reporting also drew a clear line between the Gen 2 and the higher-priced Meta Ray-Ban Display, noting that the Gen 2 remained a camera-first device without an in-lens display or the Meta Neural Band.[4] After the Gen 3 launch, Engadget called the newer model an iterative update and wrote that its higher price and the arrival of most new software features on the Gen 2 made an upgrade hard to justify.[16]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Now With Up to 2X the Battery Life and Better Video Capture". Meta. 2025-09-17. https://about.fb.com/news/2025/09/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-better-battery-life-video-capture/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Available Now With Up to 2x the Battery Life and Better Video Capture". Meta. 2025-09-17. https://www.meta.com/blog/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-now-available-ai-glasses-extended-battery-life-3k-video/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Everything Meta announced at Connect 2025: Second-gen Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta Vanguard and Meta Ray-Ban Display". Engadget. 2025-09-17. https://www.engadget.com/wearables/everything-meta-announced-at-connect-2025-second-gen-ray-ban-meta-oakley-meta-vanguard-and-meta-ray-ban-display-100007120.html. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "The Regular Ray-Ban Meta Glasses Get A Gen 2 Upgrade". UploadVR. 2025-09-17. https://www.uploadvr.com/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-announced-preorders/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Introducing Our First AI Glasses Built For Prescriptions". About Meta. Meta Platforms. 2026-03-31. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/03/meta-ai-glasses-built-for-prescriptions/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Introducing Ray-Ban Meta Audio and More AI Glasses Styles". About Meta. Meta Platforms. 2026-09-23. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-ray-ban-meta-audio-glasses-new-styles-plus-muse/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 David Nield (2026-09-24). "Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3 vs Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2: should you upgrade to the new smart glasses?". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/meta-ray-ban-gen-3-vs-meta-ray-ban-gen-2-should-you-upgrade-to-the-new-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Meta unveils Ray-Ban Display and Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) smart glasses". GSMArena. 2025-09-17. https://m.gsmarena.com/meta_rayban_display_and_rayban_meta_gen_2_smart_glasses_debut-news-69560.php. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Nicholas Sutrich (2025-09-18). "Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Price, specs, styles, and everything you need to know". Android Central. https://www.androidcentral.com/wearables/ray-ban-meta-gen-2. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Scott Hayden (2026-03-31). "Meta is Releasing 2 New Ray-Ban Smart Glasses for Prescription Wearers, Starting at $500". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/meta-2-new-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-prescription/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 David Heaney (2026-03-31). "Ray-Ban Meta Optics Styles Promise "All-Day Comfort" For Prescriptions". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/ray-ban-meta-optics-styles-blayzer-scriber-announced-preorders/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "How to use the action button on Ray-Ban Meta Optics glasses". AI Glasses Help. Meta Platforms. https://www.meta.com/help/ai-glasses/1474718630810547/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics (Gen 2) Rx AI Glasses". Meta Store. Meta Platforms. https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/ray-ban-meta-blayzer-optics-gen-2/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Everything We Announced at Meta Connect 2026". Meta. Meta Platforms. 2026-09-23. https://www.meta.com/blog/meta-connect-2026-everything-we-announced/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ Kris Holt (2026-09-23). "Everything announced at Meta Connect 2026". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2267230/everything-announced-at-meta-connect-2026/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Ian Carlos Campbell (2026-09-24). "Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 vs. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2: How these AI glasses compare". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2268392/ray-ban-meta-gen-3-vs-gen-2-ai-glasses-comparison/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Ray-Ban Meta Collection". Qualcomm. https://www.qualcomm.com/xr-vr-ar/device-finder/ray-ban-meta-collection. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Jason England (2025-09-23). "Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 vs Gen 1: What's the difference?". Tom's Guide. https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/ray-ban-meta-ai-glasses-gen-1-vs-gen-2. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 "Ray-Ban Meta 'Gen 2' smart glasses deliver 2x battery, 3K video, $379". 9to5Google. 2025-09-17. https://9to5google.com/2025/09/17/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-battery-video-upgrades/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ "Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 Glasses Launch With 8-Hour Battery and 3K Video". Auganix. 2025-09-17. https://www.auganix.org/xr-news-meta-ray-ban-gen-2/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ "Updates to Meta AI Glasses: Conversation Focus, Spotify Integration, and More". About Meta. Meta Platforms. 2025-12-16. https://about.fb.com/news/2025/12/updates-to-meta-ai-glasses-conversation-focus-spotify-integration/. Retrieved 2026-09-25.