Meta Unveils Second Generation Ray Ban Smart Glasses with AI Focus As anticipated, Meta has officially launched its next generation of smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban during its Connect conference. The new model, referred to as Gen 2, starts at a retail price of 379 dollars. This new version offers several significant upgrades over the 299 dollar model released by the partnership in 2023. A key improvement is in battery performance. Meta states the glasses now last up to eight hours on a single charge with typical use. The accompanying charging case has also been enhanced, now providing an extra 48 hours of power compared to the previous case which offered 32 hours. Furthermore, a quick charge feature allows the glasses to reach 50 percent battery in just 20 minutes. For content creators, the camera system has received a major boost. The glasses are now equipped with a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 3K Ultra HD video. This includes support for up to 60 frames per second and HDR. Meta also announced that software updates coming later this fall will add hyperlapse and slow-motion video capture capabilities to all of its AI glasses. The device includes 32GB of built-in storage and carries an IPX-4 rating for water resistance. During the on-stage presentation, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted a new audio feature called conversation focus. This is designed to enhance voice clarity in noisy, live environments, making it easier to hear the people you are speaking with. This particular feature will also be made available to the first generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses through an update. The event also featured a live AI demonstration that encountered difficulties. The demo was intended to show the AI assistant identifying ingredients on a table and providing cooking instructions, but it appeared to malfunction, skipping steps before ending unsuccessfully with an explanation of bad Wi-Fi connectivity. On the design front, the second generation glasses maintain the same popular styles as the original release. Consumers can choose from three base frame designs: Wayfarer, Skyler, and Headliner. Each frame style can be fitted with a variety of lenses, including standard, polarized, transitions, and prescription options. Choosing polarized lenses will add 30 dollars to the base price, while transitions lenses add 80 dollars. The cost for prescription lenses will vary based on individual vision requirements. The second generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are available for purchase immediately in numerous countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, the UAE, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Availability in Mexico, India, and Brazil is expected soon. For the time being, it appears Meta and Ray-Ban will continue to sell the first generation model at its original price point of 299 dollars alongside the new version.
