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Once I reviewed the unique Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I defined how a lot I appreciated them, however that others would possibly skip them due to the Meta connection and privateness considerations. As a substitute, they turned the world’s best-selling sensible glasses. Ray-Ban/Oakley maker EssilorLuxottica is thriving because of AI glasses gross sales, on the right track to make 10 million models subsequent 12 months to fulfill demand.
My Gen 2 evaluation will give attention to two forms of folks: the hundreds of thousands of Gen 1 consumers questioning whether or not these new glasses are sufficient to justify an improve, and sensible glasses skeptics questioning whether or not to hop on the Ray-Ban prepare.
For the primary group, the Gen 2-to-Gen 1 hole is delicate, with some issues addressed and others unresolved. However simply as Meta remodeled the Gen 1s with Meta AI and Dwell AI months after launch, the very best is but to return for the Gen 2s — when you’re affected person.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) types, specs, and worth
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Model | Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer (Gen 2) | Ray-Ban Meta Skyler (Gen 2) | Ray-Ban Meta Headliner (Gen 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
Body colours | Shiny Cosmic Blue, Matte Black, Shiny Black | Shiny Mystic Violet, Shiny Chalky Grey, Shiny Black | Shiny Asteroid Gray, Matte Black, Shiny Black |
Lens colours | Clear, Gradient Graphite, Inexperienced, Polarized (Inexperienced G-15, Darkish Brown, Gray); Transitions (Amber*, Amethyst, Brown*, Emerald*, Inexperienced G-15, Gray, Ruby*, Sapphire) | Clear, Gradient Graphite, Inexperienced, Polarized (Inexperienced G-15, Darkish Brown, Gray); Transitions (Amber*, Amethyst, Brown*, Emerald*, Inexperienced G-15, Gray, Ruby*, Sapphire) | Clear, Gradient Graphite, Inexperienced, Polarized (Inexperienced G-15, Darkish Brown, Gray); Transitions (Amber*, Amethyst, Brown*, Emerald*, Inexperienced G-15*, Gray, Ruby*, Sapphire) |
The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses ship in three types, every with a number of colours and lens choices. Wayfarers have Normal or Giant body sizes to accommodate bigger heads; Headliners have Excessive and Low bridges. Skyler frames are one-size-fits-all.
All types and lens varieties allow you to add a prescription, although solely by way of Meta or Ray-Ban straight.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Wayfarer, Headliner, and Skyler all begin at $379 — $80 greater than the Gen 1 glasses. You will pay $30 or $80 for Polarized or Transitions lenses, respectively.
Shopping for from Ray-Ban straight unlocks distinctive Transitions lens colours like Amethyst, Ruby, or Sapphire, Polarized colours like Darkish Brown, extra-thin lenses for stronger prescriptions, and an “optimized” anti-reflective layer to fight smudges and oils.
Class | Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 |
|---|---|
Lenses | Clear, Blue Gentle Ease, Solar, Polarized, Transitions; all out there with prescription (Single Imaginative and prescient or Progressive; Slim, Skinny, or Additional Skinny) |
Show | N/A |
Digital camera | 12MP Extremely-Huge |
Photograph decision | 3024 X 4032 pixels (Portrait solely) |
Video decision | 1080p at 30FPS 1200p at 60FPS* 3K at 30FPS |
Audio system | 2X open-ear audio system |
Microphones | Customized 5-mic Array |
Storage | 32GB; about 500 images, 100 30-second movies |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.3 |
Compatibility | iOS; Android |
Weight | 52g |
Sturdiness | IPX4 |
Battery | As much as 8 hours per cost 5 hours steady audio playback or voice calling |
Charging (glasses) case | 48 hours price of cost |
Charging velocity | 50% in 20 minutes |
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): All the things you will love
A lot of the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) perks shall be previous information to Gen 1 house owners, however are nonetheless price explaining to new consumers.
Once I exit for a solo stroll, run, hike, or spherical of golf, I take into consideration sporting my Ray-Bans. They provide me wealthy audio system for music or audiobooks to maintain me motivated as I work out. I can snap first-person-perspective images with a fast faucet of the precise temple button, and the five-mic array helps my voice come by way of crystal clear throughout telephone calls.
At any time, I can say, “Hey Meta,” and have the AI clarify what plant species I am taking a look at, set a reminder for the place I parked, test my subsequent appointment in Google Calendar, begin taking part in a particular track or playlist, or message a member of the family.
None of that is all that totally different from what you are able to do with a smartphone and earbuds, and so they will not operate and not using a telephone. However it’s a handy combo package deal.
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The design is not excellent, however the EssilorLuxottica partnership could not have labored out any higher for Meta. The Ray-Ban producer tapped its design experience to make these glasses look regular (if thick) with dozens of variations; different tech manufacturers cannot supply this selection or leverage in-person glasses shops for fittings.
The Wayfarers are the default look, boxy and a bit generic to “mix in” probably the most, whereas the rounded-edge Headliners and Skylers soften the thick-framed look considerably.
Whichever type you select, I like to recommend splurging on the Transitions lenses. I do not use them indoors that always, but when I am out for a protracted exercise, they offer me good eye safety to begin after which change to clear as soon as the solar goes down.
As I wrote in my Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 first impressions, longer battery life is their most vital improve. The previous model had a 4-hour max however hardly ever lasted that lengthy, and doubling the max capability with out the glasses getting noticeably heavier is price praising.
I’ve by no means hit Meta’s eight-hour estimate, however solely as a result of I have a tendency to make use of the Gen 2s closely: nonstop music streaming, loads of 3K movies, and Meta AI instructions. Meta’s five-hour estimate with music aligns with my expertise, about 20% per hour whereas utilizing all the primary options.
Each time I’ve gone out and solely taken images or requested Meta just a few questions, it is a lot nearer to the 12.5%/hour that Meta guarantees, with little battery use whereas idling. However with frequent movies or livestreaming, you will burn by way of battery shortly.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Digital camera and video exams
Digital camera high quality from the 12MP ultrawide sensor hasn’t modified for the reason that Gen 1 glasses, and my ideas from 2023 apply to the Gen 2s.
Meta’s digital camera is great at catching shifting targets or adjusting to your motion; I’ve taken nice pictures whereas working. It captures a ton of element, however no wayfinder means you will have hassle figuring out what you are really photographing or how shut to face. Your peak may even have an effect on issues; as a tall man, I have to squat for the very best close-up angle.
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Meta needs you to add these on to Instagram, however I discover they normally want cropping and magic erasing in Google Images first. Meta’s post-processing tends to oversaturate images, and Magic Eraser removes the pointless particulars.
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Be ready to just accept some trade-offs. Evening images is blurry, even with synthetic mild sources, and you will not discover any different “modes” like portrait that blur issues behind your topic.
For pure, on-the-go, quick-snap images, they’re glorious; I can seize issues I might normally miss if I needed to pull out my telephone first.
I simply hope that by the Gen 3 launch in just a few years, we’ll get panorama images, a shortcut button to zoom in for faraway topics, and different enhancements.
The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) and Oakley Meta HSTN glasses have the identical video settings: 1080p or 3K at 30 FPS. Meta additionally says it will finally assist 1200p at 60 FPS, however that setting nonetheless hasn’t arrived as of late October.
You possibly can see the Oakley video check above from Android Central’s Nick Sutrich displaying how the brand new 3K video setting compares to 1080p on the Gen 1s. My findings are much like his: 3K HDR movies provide you with extra element, higher distinction, and fewer compression than the 1080p setting, particularly in well-lit areas; in dimly lit rooms or at night time, Ray-Ban movies are blurry and boring on both setting.
For cellular movies — like recording whereas working a half-marathon — the 1080p setting is healthier, whereas 3K is distractingly shaky. Meta gave its sporty Vanguard glasses a smoother 60 FPS mode and customizable stabilization instruments, so I am assuming the Ray-Bans will get these quickly.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): All the things you will dislike or tolerate
My mother beloved testing out my Ray-Ban Meta glasses; she went round her backyard asking about each sort of plant and taking images. However after the novelty wore off, she handed them again and mentioned she’d by no means put on them long-term as a result of they’re too huge, each bodily and aesthetically.
I believe loads of folks will agree together with her that the thickness wanted to suit the cameras, mics, and battery could be very distinct, and won’t match their vibe. Meta will finally have to tug off glasses that weigh barely much less if individuals are going to put on all of them day, not only for outings.
I like to recommend making an attempt them on at an area glasses or electronics retailer when you’re unsure. You will should resolve if their 50g weight is oppressive and which measurement to decide on. I discover the Normal match is safer however digs deeper into my nostril, whereas the Giant match is extra comfy however tends to float down my face after I stroll or run.
Good glasses have turn into far more mainstream, and the Gen 2 design blends in additional than most XR glasses. However folks exterior the tech sphere nonetheless dislike wearable cameras that may begin recording with out warning, even with the white LED to warn them.
Some first-gen nitpicks have returned this technology, just like the Ray-Ban emblem being distractingly seen in the precise lens, or Meta AI not having the ability to change glasses settings, solely telling you the place to look.
You will have to just accept the noticeable audio spill; on the quantity vital to listen to your music clearly, anybody else close by will hear it, too. And I might like Meta so as to add totally different audio profiles tailor-made to particular forms of music (aka a bass mode) or to audiobooks and podcasts.
Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, Meta tread water on images this technology, and I might prefer to see enhancements by subsequent technology: A portrait/ panorama toggle, non-obligatory zoom, higher postprocessing, or different methods.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Competitors
If you happen to examine the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 vs. the Oakley Meta HSTN, you will discover they’re just about similar in {hardware}, differing solely in type and Prizm lenses. However the Oakleys are theoretically powerful competitors when you favor their aesthetic to Ray-Ban.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses are extra considerably upgraded: you get an additional hour of battery life, louder audio system, IP67 water resistance, and a extra centered digital camera cutout. However they do not mix in like Ray-Bans, they haven’t any Transitions or prescription choices, and so they’re heavier — although the nostril pads hold them in place.
Then you need to examine the Meta Ray-Ban Show glasses in opposition to the Gen 2s. Pay twice as a lot, and also you get a built-in HUD for distinctive apps — map navigation, watching movies, studying messages, and many others. — a viewfinder for higher images, and a neural band for gesture controls. However these glasses are notably thicker and heavier, out there solely in a single type and two colours, and in restricted inventory.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Do you have to purchase them?
You should purchase Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) if…
- You are a Gen 1 wearer who’s pissed off by the quick battery life.
- You are an influencer or athlete who needs to simply seize and share reside moments.
- One of many three types matches your private look.
You should not purchase Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) if…
- You need “sensible glasses” with a HUD for streaming, gaming, or apps.
- You are pleased together with your present technique of images/music streaming.
- You’d slightly await Samsung or Apple sensible glasses.
- They’re too thick.
Good glasses newbies will both just like the Ray-Ban type, simple images, and AI insights, or get scared off by their measurement. The actual query is whether or not Gen 1 or Tales house owners will see sufficient to improve.
Except for battery life, the Gen 2 Ray-Bans will not really feel that totally different from the final technology, however solely as a result of Meta has spent two years updating the Gen 1s. They did not even launch with Meta AI, but it is now the signature function.
We already know they will get slow-motion and hyperlapse movies, Garmin integration, higher video recording, and one-word instructions like “Photograph” by the top of 2025. And that must be simply the beginning. Simply have a look at Meta’s AI glasses launch notes — with eight function updates thus far in 2025 — to see what to anticipate.
In the end, you will not discover different display-free glasses that steadiness AI smarts, digital camera and speaker high quality, and traditional type so properly, and I believe Meta has performed sufficient to tempt you to improve. Nevertheless, when you’re not satisfied, test again in just a few months — they may be even higher by then.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses
Acquainted instruments, upgraded
The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses have arrived with enhanced battery life, UHD video, and new types to tempt long-time followers into upgrading. Except another Oakley type or the Show HUD actually tempt you, you will not discover a correct sensible glasses rival to them.