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After I reviewed the unique Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I defined how a lot I favored them, however that others would possibly skip them due to the Meta connection and privateness considerations. As a substitute, they grew to become the world’s best-selling sensible glasses. Ray-Ban/Oakley maker EssilorLuxottica is thriving because of AI glasses gross sales, on course to make 10 million models subsequent 12 months to satisfy demand.
My Gen 2 assessment will concentrate on two varieties of individuals: the tens of millions 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 practice.
For the primary group, the Gen 2-to-Gen 1 hole is delicate, with some issues addressed and others unresolved. However simply as Meta reworked the Gen 1s with Meta AI and Dwell AI months after launch, the most effective is but to return for the Gen 2s — if you happen to’re affected person.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) types, specs, and worth
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|
Fashion |
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 Customary or Massive 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 via Meta or Ray-Ban instantly.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) Wayfarer, Headliner, and Skyler all begin at $379 — $80 larger than the Gen 1 glasses. You may pay $30 or $80 for Polarized or Transitions lenses, respectively.
Shopping for from Ray-Ban instantly 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 Mild Ease, Solar, Polarized, Transitions; all out there with prescription (Single Imaginative and prescient or Progressive; Slim, Skinny, or Further Skinny) |
|
Show |
N/A |
|
Digital camera |
12MP Extremely-Huge |
|
Picture 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 pictures, 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 value of cost |
|
Charging velocity |
50% in 20 minutes |
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Every little thing you will love
A lot of the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) perks will probably be outdated information to Gen 1 homeowners, however are nonetheless value explaining to new consumers.
After I exit for a solo stroll, run, hike, or spherical of golf, I take into consideration sporting my Ray-Bans. They offer me wealthy audio system for music or audiobooks to maintain me motivated as I work out. I can snap first-person-perspective pictures with a fast faucet of the suitable temple button, and the five-mic array helps my voice come via crystal clear throughout cellphone 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, verify 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 completely different from what you are able to do with a smartphone and earbuds, they usually will not operate and not using a cellphone. However it’s a handy combo bundle.
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The design is not good, 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 provide 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 model you select, I like to recommend splurging on the Transitions lenses. I do not use them indoors that usually, 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 essential improve. The outdated 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 value 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 pictures or requested Meta a couple of 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 via battery rapidly.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Digital camera and video checks
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 digicam is great at catching shifting targets or adjusting to your motion; I’ve taken nice pictures whereas operating. It captures a ton of element, however no wayfinder means you will have hassle understanding what you are truly photographing or how shut to face. Your peak will even have an effect on issues; as a tall man, I must squat for the most effective close-up angle.
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Meta needs you to add these on to Instagram, however I discover they often want cropping and magic erasing in Google Photographs first. Meta’s post-processing tends to oversaturate pictures, and Magic Eraser removes the pointless particulars.
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Be ready to simply accept some trade-offs. Night time pictures is blurry, even with synthetic gentle sources, and you will not discover any different “modes” like portrait that blur issues behind your topic.
For pure, on-the-go, quick-snap pictures, they’re glorious; I can seize issues I would often miss if I needed to pull out my cellphone first.
I simply hope that by the Gen 3 launch in a couple of years, we’ll get panorama pictures, 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’s going to finally help 1200p at 60 FPS, however that setting nonetheless hasn’t arrived as of late October.
You possibly can see the Oakley video take a look at above from Android Central’s Nick Sutrich exhibiting how the brand new 3K video setting compares to 1080p on the Gen 1s. My findings are just like his: 3K HDR movies offer you 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 operating 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): Every little thing you will dislike or tolerate
My mother cherished testing out my Ray-Ban Meta glasses; she went round her backyard asking about each kind of plant and taking pictures. 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 massive, each bodily and aesthetically.
I feel loads of individuals will agree together with her that the thickness wanted to suit the cameras, mics, and battery could be very distinct, and may not match their vibe. Meta will finally have to drag 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 attempting them on at a neighborhood glasses or electronics retailer if you happen to’re unsure. You may need to resolve if their 50g weight is oppressive and which measurement to decide on. I discover the Customary match is safer however digs deeper into my nostril, whereas the Massive match is extra snug however tends to float down my face after I stroll or run.
Good glasses have develop into rather more mainstream, and the Gen 2 design blends in additional than most XR glasses. However individuals outdoors 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 era, just like the Ray-Ban emblem being distractingly seen in the suitable lens, or Meta AI not with the ability to change glasses settings, solely telling you the place to look.
You may have to simply accept the noticeable audio spill; on the quantity obligatory to listen to your music clearly, anybody else close by will hear it, too. And I would like Meta so as to add completely different audio profiles tailor-made to particular varieties of music (aka a bass mode) or to audiobooks and podcasts.
Lastly, as I mentioned earlier, Meta tread water on pictures this era, and I would wish to see enhancements by subsequent era: A portrait/ panorama toggle, elective 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 equivalent in {hardware}, differing solely in model and Prizm lenses. However the Oakleys are theoretically powerful competitors if you happen to 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 digicam cutout. However they do not mix in like Ray-Bans, they don’t have any Transitions or prescription choices, they usually’re heavier — although the nostril pads maintain them in place.
Then it’s important to examine the Meta Ray-Ban Show glasses towards 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 pictures, and a neural band for gesture controls. However these glasses are notably thicker and heavier, out there solely in a single model and two colours, and in restricted inventory.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Do you have to purchase them?
You can purchase Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) if…
- You are a Gen 1 wearer who’s pissed off by the brief 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 glad along with your present technique of pictures/music streaming.
- You’d fairly watch for Samsung or Apple sensible glasses.
- They’re too thick.
Good glasses newbies will both just like the Ray-Ban model, straightforward pictures, and AI insights, or get scared off by their measurement. The true query is whether or not Gen 1 or Tales homeowners will see sufficient to improve.
Except for battery life, the Gen 2 Ray-Bans will not really feel that completely different from the final era, 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 “Picture” by the tip of 2025. And that ought to be simply the beginning. Simply take a look at Meta’s AI glasses launch notes — with eight function updates to this point in 2025 — to see what to anticipate.
Finally, you will not discover different display-free glasses that steadiness AI smarts, digicam and speaker high quality, and basic model so nicely, and I feel Meta has performed sufficient to tempt you to improve. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re not satisfied, verify again in a couple of months — they is likely to 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 model or the Show HUD actually tempt you, you will not discover a correct sensible glasses rival to them.
