I compared both generations of Meta Ray-Ban glasses, and here's my buying advice for 2025

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The Meta Ray-Bans are arguably the astir palmy AI hardware merchandise successful the past 3 years, with capable momentum to promote Mark Zuckerberg to walk 80% of this week's Meta Connect keynote discussing the past, present, and aboriginal of astute glasses.

Also: I utilized the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, and they connection 2 breakthroughs to instrumentality america beyond smartphones

While overmuch of the fanfare was reserved for the caller Ray-Ban Display glasses, which diagnostic a waveguide strategy that projects ocular cues, navigation pathways, a camera viewfinder, and more, the 2nd procreation of the archetypal Meta Ray-Bans besides launched. In galore ways, they win their predecessor with meaningful upgrades. But you'll privation to enactment the drawbacks too.

I've tested some the archetypal and 2nd procreation of Ray-Ban astute glasses, and present are the cardinal reasons for and against buying the latest model.

Specifications

You should bargain the Meta Ray-Ban (2nd Gen) if...

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

1. You privation the best-looking video from your eyewear

Arguably, the biggest betterment with the newest Ray-Ban astute glasses is the quality to grounds successful 3K video resolution. That's connected par with the much costly Meta Oakley HSTN model, and footage is noticeably sharper and much vivid erstwhile compared to the older Ray-Bans' 1080p recordings.

Also: I biked with the Meta Oakley Vanguard, and they're easy the champion astute glasses for athletes

The footage is inactive constricted to a 4:3 facet ratio, making it optimal for societal media sharing, TikToks, and different mobile-centric platforms, but little truthful for long-form content. However, the bump successful solution should astatine slightest marque cropping and cutting much forgiving with the second-gen Meta Ray-Bans.

2. Battery anxiousness is simply a large no-no for you

While I wouldn't accidental that the archetypal Ray-Ban astute glasses were importantly underwhelming successful endurance, contented creators and powerfulness users were capable to tally done the artillery wrong 2 to 3 hours. Like the Oakley HSTN, the caller Ray-Ban exemplary has doubly the artillery beingness standing arsenic its predecessor, with Meta suggesting up to 8 hours of audio streaming compared to 4 hours.

You should bargain the Meta Ray-Ban (1st Gen) if...

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1. The caller bundle features involvement you

Meta announced a swath of caller AI features alongside the Ray-Ban (2nd Gen), astir of which volition trickle down to the 1st-gen model wrong the coming months. Tools similar Conversation Focus, which amplify the talker successful beforehand of you, and Live AI, a multimodal diagnostic that tin support way and interact with items, tasks, and different biology objects, are connected the aboriginal update list.

Also: I tried astute glasses with a built-in display, and they bushed my Meta Ray-Bans successful cardinal ways

So, if the caller bundle features intrigue you much than the hardware itself, it whitethorn marque much consciousness for you to either support your existing astute glasses or, if you're not an owner, bargain the older exemplary instead.

2. You'd similar to prevention $80 (and perchance more)

The caller Meta Ray-Ban glasses travel with an $80 upcharge, raising the starting terms from $299 to $379. It's inactive a tenable price, considering the quality-of-life changes that travel with it, but if you're buying connected a budget, it whitethorn marque much fiscal consciousness for you to put successful the older model, which Meta inactive sells connected its website.

And that's comparing the retail prices. Over the past respective months, I've seen the first-generation Meta Ray-Bans database for arsenic debased arsenic $240, and I'm expecting much of that going into the vacation season. It's besides worthy checking retired Meta's refurbished but discounted storefront.