Ray‑Ban Meta 2nd Gen — Quick roundup

Meta’s second‑generation Ray‑Ban smart glasses keep the classic Wayfarer look but add two key upgrades: longer battery life (up to ~8 hours typical) and improved 3K video quality. They also gain important AI features — better live translation, multimodal Meta AI tools, and upcoming camera/audio modes — and Meta is bringing many of these updates to older frames too.

What’s new

• Same iconic design; multiple frame colors & lens options — prices start around $379 (polarized/transitions/prescription cost more).
• Battery: Meta claims up to 8 hours typical use; reviewer saw ~5.5 hours continuous music playback.
• Camera: higher‑resolution 3K video; 12MP portrait photos unchanged.
• AI: live translation, context/translation on signs, Live AI demos, accessibility features (Be My Eyes, detailed responses).

Privacy & downsides

Privacy concerns remain: Meta stores some voice data and may use images processed for multimodal features to train models (these aren’t always saved to your roll). Cloud voice opt‑out limitations and data‑use notes mean cautious buyers should review Meta’s privacy settings before using the glasses heavily.

Verdict

Good time to buy if you want smarter, wearable POV capture + AI features — but existing Gen‑1 owners will get many new features too, so upgrading isn’t mandatory. Consider alternatives (Oakley Meta HSTN, Ray‑Ban Meta Display variants) if you need different hardware or AR features.

More info / official product pages: Meta — Ray‑Ban Meta, Ray‑Ban — Ray‑Ban Meta

Find options on Amazon (marketplace / third‑party results): Search Ray‑Ban Meta smart glasses on Amazon (affiliate)

Note: This summary is based on an Engadget review and additional official product pages; links to the original Engadget RSS have been omitted per request.