Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) vs Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

Meta announced the first Ray-Ban Meta glasses on 27 September 2023 and put them in stores on 17 October 2023. Gen 2 arrived on 17 September 2025, and Meta didn’t retire the original: it kept selling Gen 1 from $299 next to the new pair. So the question is whether the newer pair is worth eighty dollars more, and, if you already own Gen 1, whether it’s worth replacing.

The differences at a glance

Spec	Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1)	Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)
Announced	27 September 2023	17 September 2025
In stores	17 October 2023, in 15 countries	17 September 2025, in most countries already selling Ray-Ban Meta
US price	From $299	From $379
Photos	12 MP, ultra-wide	12 MP (Meta’s May 2026 guide)
Video	1080p, clips up to 60 seconds	3K Ultra HD, ultrawide HDR, up to 60 fps
Battery	Not published per charge	Up to 8 hours typical use
Charging case	Up to eight extra charges; 36 hours total	Adds 48 hours
Quick charge	Not published	50% in 20 minutes
Water	IPX4	Not published
Chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1	Not published
Microphones	Five	Not published
Frames at launch	Wayfarer, Headliner	Wayfarer, Skyler, Headliner
Prescription	Supported; range not published	−12.00 to +6.00 (SPH+CYL) on Meta.com
Weight	Not published	Not published
Display in the lens	None	None

Should you upgrade from Gen 1?

Only if battery life or video quality bothers you. Meta says Gen 2 lasts almost twice as long on a charge, and it records 3K video at up to 60 frames per second instead of 1080p clips capped at 60 seconds. Gen 2 also adds the Skyler frame and charges to 50% in 20 minutes.

If your Gen 1 already gets you through the day and you mostly snap photos and ask Meta AI questions, keep it. Meta lists 12-megapixel photos for both, and Gen 2 adds no display.

Video: 3K against 1080p clips

Gen 1’s camera is an ultra-wide 12-megapixel sensor that records 1080p video in clips of up to 60 seconds. It can also livestream to Facebook or Instagram, with comments shown in a preview; tap and hold to hear them.

Gen 2 records 3K Ultra HD video with ultrawide HDR at up to 60 frames per second, and Meta says that’s more than twice as many pixels as the previous generation. Meta scheduled hyperlapse and slow motion for a software update later in fall 2025, across its AI glasses. For photos, Meta’s May 2026 buying guide lists 12 megapixels for Gen 2, the same figure Gen 1 launched with.

In later posts about Meta Ray-Ban Display, Meta says Ray-Ban Meta glasses light up a capture LED while recording.

Battery: almost twice as long, by Meta’s count

Meta rates Gen 2 for up to 8 hours of typical use and calls that almost twice Gen 1. Its case adds 48 hours, and 20 minutes of charging gets the glasses to 50%. Meta’s store lists USB-C for the Gen 2 charging case.

Gen 1’s battery claim is about the case: up to eight extra charges, for 36 hours of use in total. That’s a total, while Gen 2’s 48 hours come on top of a full charge, so the two case figures aren’t a straight comparison.

Water, chip and microphones

Gen 1 is rated IPX4: it handles splashes, not swimming, and the X means there’s no dust rating. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 and has five microphones, at the front, sides, rear and top. At launch Meta said its open-ear speakers had more bass, a higher maximum volume and directional audio that leaks less.

For Gen 2, Meta talks about open-ear speakers for music, calls and live translation, but doesn’t list a water rating, a chip or a microphone count. If water resistance matters to you, don’t assume Gen 1’s IPX4 carries over.

Frames, colors and prescription lenses

Gen 1 launched in Wayfarer and Headliner, in finishes including Matte Black, Shiny Black and transparent Jeans, Rebel Black and Caramel, plus Remix options Meta said ran to more than 150 combinations. Meta also said the frames were lighter and slimmer than Ray-Ban Stories.

Gen 2 launched in Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner, plus limited seasonal colors. Skyler is the shape Gen 1 never had. Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics, from $499 in Meta’s May 2026 guide, came later and cost more.

Both take prescription lenses. For a Gen 2 Wayfarer, Meta’s store lists a range of −12.00 to +6.00, sphere plus cylinder, which is wider than Meta offers on its Display model. Lens tint is something you choose when you order.

Meta AI, translation and controls

Gen 1 launched with Meta AI, woken with “Hey Meta”, as a beta in the United States only. Meta also updated the touchpad, added sounds for interactions and let you say “send a photo”.

Gen 2 works the same way, by voice and with the touch and capture controls on the frame, through the Meta AI app on your phone. It launched with German and Portuguese added to live translation, and Meta said two-way translation in six languages, offline once you download the language packs, was coming soon. So was conversation focus, which Meta says amplifies the person you’re facing, for both Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN. Both are software features Meta announced, not new hardware, and neither was part of Gen 1’s 2023 launch.

Price and where they’re sold

Gen 1 launched at $299 in the US on 27 September 2023, with preorders that day and stores from 17 October 2023 in 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and countries across Europe. Meta was still listing it from $299 when Gen 2 arrived.

Gen 2 launched at $379 on 17 September 2025, on sale that day in most countries that already sold Ray-Ban Meta. Switzerland and the Netherlands were added, Mexico and India were due later that fall, and Brazil was coming soon. Prices move, so check meta.com or ray-ban.com before you buy, and check which generation a listing is: a Wayfarer photo won’t tell you.

If neither fits

For text in the lens, the model is Meta Ray-Ban Display. For a sportier Meta frame, see Oakley Meta HSTN vs Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2). If you want a movie screen for a phone or handheld, you need USB-C display glasses instead. And if you don’t want a camera on your face, neither pair is for you.