Our top-recommended smart glasses get an update for 2025—available now for $379
Meta has announced the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), an iterative but important under-the-hood update to what has become the world’s best-selling smart glasses.
The 2025 update, available for order now starting at $379, resembles the classic Wayfarer and Headliner styles of the original, but features a significantly longer-lasting battery and an improved camera.
That battery upgrade is the key one, with the estimated staying power almost doubled for the second-gen edition. Meta claims the newer glasses can last up to eight hours with typical use, a significant improvement over the first generation, which often struggled to last through a full day of heavy use. The stylish charging case provides an additional 48 hours of charge on the go.
The other key hardware improvement is the camera, which can now capture sharper and more vivid video in 3K Ultra HD resolution. This upgrade will also introduce new software-based capture modes—hyperlapse and slow motion—set to launch on all of Meta’s AI glasses this fall.
The entire AI glasses lineup will introduce a new “Conversation focus” feature that leverages open-ear speakers to amplify the voice of the person you’re talking to. This enhancement helps you distinguish their voice from background noise in busy environments. Live Translation is also expanding to include German and Portuguese.
The Wareable take
This is a smart, targeted update that addresses the most notable weaknesses of what was already an excellent product.
In our review of the original Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, we were impressed by the design, audio quality, and camera capabilities. However, we found the battery life to be a significant drawback, as it depleted quickly.
By almost doubling the battery life and improving the video quality, Meta has made the best and most stylish smart glasses on the market even better, making it much harder for any competitor to beat them.
