Testing the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses for the previous week, after two years of carrying the unique Ray-Ban Metas on and off, has made it instantly clear that Meta considerably improved these glasses in key methods — however left the core expertise (and a few of my previous complaints) unchanged.
Meta handed out the Gen 2s like sweet at Join 2025, making me the sudden proprietor of the Shiny Cosmic Blue Wayfarer Gen 2 frames with Transitions lenses.
Switching from my previous Matte Black Gen 1 sun shades permits me to make use of them round the home or for night runs, which I really like.
However these additional classes, enhanced by higher battery life, additionally give me extra alternatives to note these sensible glasses‘ ache factors.
My full assessment will are available a number of weeks after extra testing. However for anybody deciding now whether or not to improve or hold utilizing their present pair, my early impressions may also help you resolve.
Battery life is the Gen 2 star
Once I first began utilizing my 2023 Ray-Bans, they usually lasted about three hours with music streaming, frequent images, and the occasional cellphone name or command. By early 2025, after I ran a half-marathon carrying them, they barely lasted two hours. Having a powerful Gen 2 baseline can be vital to new consumers, who know the capability will fade with time.
Thus far, the Gen 2s burn up about 20% capability per hour, together with one 3K video, frequent Meta AI instructions, and high-volume music streaming to fight outside atmosphere. A two-hour run left me at 60% capability, whereas a one-hour run the following day left me at 79%.
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Utilizing them indoors at a decrease quantity, with Meta AI instructions turned off to preserve energy, the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2s have been at 69% after two hours — very environment friendly! Then, a two-minute cellphone name and filming my cat in 3K for one more minute reduce one other 8% energy, so take that under consideration.
I do not imagine you possibly can persistently use these for all-day audio streaming, until you are prepared to take them off a few times for a fast top-off within the charging case. Nevertheless it’s a lot higher than earlier than, and the 50% recharge in 20 minutes helps.
Total, the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 battery increase makes me more likely to put on them for an outing or work occasion, figuring out they will not develop into a pointless face-weight after a few hours.
These glasses do not feel THAT completely different, however they’re going to hold altering
Across the Oakley Meta Vanguard launch in late October, Meta will push a number of new updates to the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2s: gradual movement and hyperlapse movies, Garmin/ Strava integration for real-time exercise stats, “dialog focus” mode to reinforce the voice of whomever you are talking with, and new voice command shortcuts like “Picture” with out the Meta AI wake phrase.
Meta has additionally promised that the Ray-Ban Gen 2s will be capable of shoot in 1200p decision at 60 FPS, however the possibility is not obtainable but. Meta has even opened up its “Wearable Gadget Entry Toolkit” in order that devs can combine Meta AI glasses immediately with their third-party apps — however we in all probability will not see the outcomes till 2026 or later.
Other than battery life, the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2s do not feel that completely different in the present day. However all the above options make me optimistic that they will really feel extra “next-gen” quickly.
On that observe, though the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses provide “over 2x extra pixels” than the final era for video recording, the distinction would not really feel that stark. You may discover extra particulars and fewer compression in side-by-side movies should you look carefully, not less than..
However Nick, who examined the equivalent cameras on the Oakley Meta HSTNs, agrees with me that the picture stabilization is incredible at 1080p, making a super-smooth, gliding video whereas working quick that nearly recreates the impact of a dolly shot in motion pictures. So I discover myself preferring that mode; possibly the 1200p 60FPS mode will really feel like a pleasant, smoother compromise between the 2, as soon as that arrives.
Truthfully, I simply want we might seen a picture high quality increase, as properly. The unchanged 3024 X 4032 decision remains to be nice in best situations, however I would nonetheless prefer to see higher low-light high quality, shade balancing that is not fairly so oversaturated, or some form of optical zoom (if that is possible in glasses kind) when the Gen 3s arrive in a few years.
The cons and nitpicks that you will have to stay with
With my final Ray-Bans, I wore a “Giant” pair that put much less strain on my face however wasn’t well-fitted, so it slid down my face whereas strolling (or working, particularly). With this pair, I bought the Normal dimension, and now they keep firmly in place for a ten-mile run, irrespective of how sweaty I get.
That is nice, however now that I am carrying them on consecutive days as a substitute of sporadic weekends, the higher match additionally places extra strain on my nostril bridge and ears. Although the Gen 2s solely weigh about 2g extra — a good trade-off for the battery increase — not everybody will get pleasure from that additional weight for long-term put on.
The design blends in a lot higher than the Meta Ray-Ban Show glasses, and I like their fashion greater than the Oakley HSTNs, however not everybody will agree with me. For instance, my fiancée is not a fan, whether or not on her face or mine.
Meta AI may be undeniably useful for on-the-go questions, stay translations, or Stay AI. Nevertheless it’s restricted for issues like what video decision is energetic, what the touchpad shortcuts are, which apps are linked, or to “take a 15-second video.” It’s going to both inform you the place to look in your cellphone or reply, “I am unable to assist with that, however I am studying extra day-after-day!”
The integrations with present music and messaging apps are fairly good, if a bit gradual to work; I may name sure contacts or pull up a particular music playlist or track if I remembered the identify. However Meta is working at an obstacle in comparison with future Samsung or Apple glasses that’ll have nearer system integration along with your cellphone.
The Gen 2s ship wealthy audio, however not noticeably improved from final era, and also you usually want to show it as much as larger volumes. The actual difficulty, although, is the audio bleed: My fiancée confirmed she will hear a track’s melody at about 50% quantity and may clearly make out the lyrics at larger volumes. These glasses aren’t finest suited to open-space workplaces.
I have been spoiled by my open-ear Shokz OpenFit 2 earbuds, which look a lot dorkier however have extra focused sound that goes immediately into your ears for much less bleed, together with a number of modes like bass increase, voice, or Dolby Audio to customise the sound to your tastes. I would love for Meta to supply one thing comparable.
Finally, the hundreds of thousands of individuals who purchased the primary Ray-Ban Meta will just like the Gen 2s simply as a lot, whereas anybody turned off by the noticeably thick frames and apparent digital camera cutouts will not discover something that completely different to tempt them.
I gravitate towards the sporty Vanguard design with its IP67 water resistance and nostril pads, however my Transitions Ray-Bans are higher suited to any atmosphere or time of day, and so they’re extra inexpensive, too. The Gen 2s are the place most sensible glasses newbies or vets ought to begin.
Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)
The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses are available Wayfarer, Headliner, or Skyler kinds beginning at $379, with an $30 surcharge for polarized lenses, $80 for Transitions, and an extra value for prescription inserts. You get stronger battery life and higher-res movies than the first-gen fashions.
