Smart glasses · Model guide · Maker specs
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1)
Buy Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) only to save money: it records 1080p clips of up to 60 seconds, while Gen 2 shoots 3K video.
Product images
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Buy Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) only to save money: it records 1080p clips of up to 60 seconds, while Gen 2 shoots 3K video. Gen 1 has a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, five microphones, Meta AI and IPX4, and its case holds eight extra charges, 36 hours in all. Skip it if battery matters: Gen 2's case alone is rated for 48 hours, against 36 in total for Gen 1.
Who it is for
- Anyone who wants Meta's camera glasses for as little as possible and doesn't need Gen 2's 3K video.
- Ray-Ban Stories owners ready to move on. Gen 1 swaps Stories' dual 5 MP cameras for a 12 MP ultra-wide, adds IPX4 and Meta AI, and can livestream to Facebook or Instagram.
- People who mostly snap photos and short clips, where 12 MP stills and a minute of 1080p are plenty.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who films more than short clips, or wants a battery rating for the glasses themselves. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) records 3K Ultra HD and is rated for up to 8 hours of typical use.
- Anyone who wants to read things in front of their eyes. Gen 1 has no display at all; that's a job for Meta Ray-Ban Display, or for XREAL One Pro if you want a big USB-C screen.
- Anyone who exercises in their glasses; Oakley Meta HSTN is Meta's sport-styled pair.
What sets it apart
- Price: from $299, what it cost at its 2023 launch, and Meta was still selling it at that price on Gen 2's launch day.
- A 12 MP ultra-wide camera with a five-microphone array spread around the frame (front, sides, rear and top) for immersive sound in your videos.
- IPX4 water resistance, stated by Meta for this model.
Caveats
- Meta gives no battery figure for the glasses on their own, only 36 hours in total with the case, and no fast-charge time.
- No weight in grams. Meta says only that Gen 1 is lighter and slimmer than Ray-Ban Stories.
Key specs
In the same order on every glasses page. Camera glasses, display glasses and screen glasses share one table, so a row that doesn't apply to these glasses says None.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Product family | Camera, AI and audio glasses | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27No in-lens display; for one, look at Meta Ray-Ban Display. |
| Frame styles | Wayfarer and Headliner; over 150 frame and lens combinations through Ray-Ban Remix | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Weight | No gram figure; lighter and slimmer than Ray-Ban Stories, Meta says | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Finishes / colors | Matte Black and Shiny Black, plus transparent Jeans, Rebel Black and Caramel | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Display type | None (no built-in display, per Meta's Technology 101) | Meta AI Glasses Technology 101 |
| Display resolution | None | Meta Technology 101 |
| Field of view | None | Meta Technology 101 |
| Peak brightness | None | Meta Technology 101 |
| Refresh rate | None | Meta Technology 101 |
| Virtual screen size | None; camera glasses, not a USB-C display | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Tint / electrochromic | No electrochromic dimming; the tint is whatever lens you choose in Remix | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Camera | 12 MP ultra-wide | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Video capture | 1080p clips up to 60 seconds; livestreaming to Facebook or Instagram | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27While you're live, you can preview comments or tap and hold to hear them. |
| Audio / speakers | New custom open-ear speakers with extended bass, higher maximum volume and better directional audio with less sound leakage | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Microphones | Five-microphone array, placed at the front, sides, rear and top for immersive video sound | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Chip / processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Assistant / AI | Meta AI, started with “Hey Meta”; a US-only beta at launch | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Battery, glasses | No glasses-only figure; 36 hours of use in total with the case | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Battery, case | Up to eight extra charges, for 36 hours of use in total | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Charging | In the charging case; no fast-charge figure (Gen 2 reaches 50% in 20 minutes) | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27; Gen 2 newsroom, 2025-09-17 |
| Power source | Built-in battery and charging case; not powered by a USB-C video cable | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Water / dust resistance | IPX4 | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27Splash resistance, not a swimming rating. |
| Prescription / diopter | Works with prescription lenses; no range given | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| IPD / fit | Sold in named Ray-Ban styles (Wayfarer and Headliner); no IPD range | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Controls / input | Improved touchpad, audio cues (earcons) and voice, including “Hey Meta” and “send a photo” | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Connection to phone / PC | Pairs with your phone through Meta's glasses app; not a USB-C video display | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Device compatibility | No phone requirements given; livestreams go to Facebook and Instagram | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Sensors / tracking | No 3DoF or 6DoF tracking | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| App / OS | Meta AI (US beta at launch); livestreaming and sharing to Facebook and Instagram | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| US price | From $299 at launch on 27 September 2023; still from $299 when Gen 2 launched on 17 September 2025 | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27; Gen 2 newsroom, 2025-09-17 |
| Price band | Mid-range camera glasses ($299 at its 2023 launch) | Based on Meta's $299 starting price |
| Announced | 27 September 2023, at Meta Connect; pre-orders opened the same day | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Availability | In stores from 17 October 2023 in 15 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and much of Europe; still from $299 on Gen 2's launch day | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27; Gen 2 newsroom, 2025-09-17 |
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Livestreaming | Facebook or Instagram, straight from the glasses; preview comments, or tap and hold to hear them | Meta newsroom, 2023-09-27 |
| Price when Gen 2 launched | From $299 on 17 September 2025 | Meta newsroom, 2025-09-17 |
| Predecessor | Ray-Ban Stories (9 September 2021): dual 5 MP cameras, the Facebook View app, no IPX4 rating | Facebook newsroom, 2021-09-09 |
What Gen 2 changed
Two years after Gen 1, Meta followed it with Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2). The camera and the battery are where it moved on:
| Spec | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 27 September 2023 | 17 September 2025 |
| Video | 1080p, clips up to 60 seconds | 3K Ultra HD |
| Battery, glasses | No figure given | Up to 8 hours of typical use |
| Charging case | Eight extra charges, 36 hours in total | 48 more hours |
| Fast charge | No figure given | 50% in 20 minutes |
Gen 2’s case alone is rated for more than Gen 1’s 36 hours in total, and Gen 1’s clips stop at a minute. If you film a lot or count on the glasses lasting a full outing, that settles it. If you mostly take photos and ask Meta AI the odd question, Gen 1 still does that, and Meta rates it IPX4, a water rating it hasn’t repeated for Gen 2. Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) vs Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) goes through the rest.
What it changed from Ray-Ban Stories
| Spec | Ray-Ban Stories | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 9 September 2021 | 27 September 2023 |
| Camera | Dual 5 MP | 12 MP ultra-wide |
| Video length | 30 seconds, then 60 after a 17 March 2022 update | Up to 60 seconds, in 1080p |
| Livestreaming | Not mentioned at launch | Facebook or Instagram |
| Assistant | Facebook Assistant | Meta AI (US beta at launch) |
| Water rating | None given | IPX4 |
For a Stories owner, that’s one sharper camera instead of two, Meta AI in place of Facebook Assistant, and a water rating.
Camera, sound and controls
The 12 MP ultra-wide camera handles stills and 1080p video, and five microphones around the frame record sound for what Meta calls immersive video. The open-ear speakers were redesigned for Gen 1 with more bass, a higher maximum volume and better directional audio, so less of your music leaks to people nearby. You control it with an improved touchpad, audio cues and your voice, all running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1.
Price
Gen 1 launched at $299 in the US on 27 September 2023, with pre-orders the same day, and reached stores on 17 October 2023 in 15 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and much of Europe. Meta was still selling it from $299 when Gen 2 arrived on 17 September 2025. Check what Gen 2 costs where you shop before settling for the older pair.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Meta newsroom — Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, 27 September 2023 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Meta — AI Glasses Technology 101 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Meta newsroom — Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), 17 September 2025 — accessed 2026-09-19
- Facebook newsroom — Ray-Ban Stories, 9 September 2021 — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does Meta AI work outside the US?
Not at launch. When Gen 1 came out, Meta AI was a beta available only in the US. You start it by saying “Hey Meta”, and you can also send a photo by voice.
Can it livestream?
Yes, to Facebook or Instagram, straight from the glasses. While you're live you can preview comments, or tap and hold to hear them.
Can I get it with prescription lenses?
Yes. Meta says Gen 1 works with prescription lenses, but it gives no prescription range for them.
Which colors and frames does Gen 1 come in?
Wayfarer and Headliner, in Matte Black, Shiny Black and transparent Jeans, Rebel Black or Caramel. Ray-Ban Remix opens that up to over 150 frame and lens combinations.
Official product page: Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1). Specs: Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) specs.