I wore the Meta Ray-Bans' successor for a month, and my buying verdict is two-fold

ZDNET's key takeaways

• The latest smart glasses are available for $379 in various styles and lens options.
• They feature 3K video recording and longer battery life.
• It's the same design as the first-gen, with the same arsenal of Meta AI tools.

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Recently, I've been documenting more of my life with the Meta Ray-Bans than with my phone. Maybe it's the fact that I'm not shoving a camera in front of friends and family, or perhaps they're not catching the pulsing white indicator whenever I hit the record button on the glasses, but the footage I've gotten has felt more genuine, natural, and truly representative of those precious moments in time.

While much progress has been made with smart glasses in 2025, many of which make the Meta Ray-Bans appear less capable, I would still put my money on the latest model to sell the most during the holiday season.

Also: Missed out on Meta Ray-Ban Display? Verizon is selling the smart glasses now, but act fast

At a starting rate of $379, they're $80 more expensive than their predecessor, but still competitive compared to the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display. After testing the second-gen glasses over the past month, I've settled on two takeaways, both of which are good news for Meta and consumers like you.

1. The upgrades are worth it for these users

There's not a lot that separates the first- and second-gen Meta Ray-Bans, but the few differences do matter, especially if you're a content creator.

First, an enhanced 12MP camera sensor can now capture in 3K (3024 x 4032) resolution at 30fps or 1080p at up to 60fps. With the sharper video recording, I've found footage to appear less noisy and colors to be more accurate, resolving two of the issues I had with the original Meta Ray-Bans. 

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Meta says the new glasses' image stabilization has improved, and I believe it. When comparing footage to the previous model, there's a noticeable lack of shakiness as I'm walking and bobbing my head. For content creators who want higher-quality POV shots without losing the convenience of the smart glasses form factor, the new Ray-Bans get the job done.

Also: Alibaba's new smart glasses take on Meta Ray-Bans - here's what they offer

The 3K video recording does come at the expense of file size and battery life. I recently wore the glasses on an upstate hiking trip and found myself putting them back into the charging case every two to three hours. That's slightly better than the mileage I got from the previous model, but still not enough to last a full day. 

I should mention that it was also hot and sunny -- as I noticed the grey transition lenses slowly but surely kick in whenever I got out of the car -- and I was recording minutes-long videos, a capability that was introduced shortly after I reviewed the original Meta Ray-Bans.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

But if you're just taking photos and videos in short spurts, then you shouldn't have a problem with endurance. Meta says the new Ray-Bans can last up to six hours with continuous audio playback, which is a nice bump from its predecessor's four-hour rating.

Considering the improved battery life, is it a hot take to wish Meta would give the carrying case the same foldable design treatment it did to the Ray-Ban Displays? The current design easily fills any shoulder bag, purse, or fanny pack. I digress.

2. The wiser choice for most people

While the new Meta Ray-Bans offer meaningful improvements, the core experience is nearly identical to that of the older model, which Meta and other retailers are still selling for $299. 

Also: Which Meta Ray-Bans model should you buy? I tested both pairs, and here's how to decide

Considering the company is trickling most of the latest Meta AI features to the first-gen glasses, including live translation, multimodal inquiries, and celebrity-emulated voices, there are just as many reasons to opt for the older pair as the newer one.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Aside from color and transition lens choices, they also look and weigh the same, whether you pick the Wayfarer, Headliner, or Skyler design. There were moments during my testing when I'd accidentally pick up and wear the first-gen Ray-Bans since the charging cases are also identical.

ZDNET's buying advice

That's to say, the second-gen Meta Ray-Bans are not as big a leap as the originals were to the Meta Ray-Ban Stories. And that's okay, because they're still the most practical smart glasses on the market, with features that cater to modern-day demands and improvements in all the places that matter -- whether you're a tech professional or average consumer.

If you're shopping on a budget, I highly recommend buying the older Meta Ray-Bans, especially if you can find a pair at a discount. Tip: Cheaper, refurbished options are a thing.

Lastly, I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't reiterate that the glasses are grounded by Meta services, which include some questionable AI and data policies that you may not be comfortable agreeing to. If things like targeted ads and chat history sharing give you pause, then I'd consider other wearable options.