The headliner from today's Meta Connect event was the Meta Quest 3 (unless you're super excited to "talk" with Snoop Dogg), but the company also revealed the next generation of its Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses.
The Ray-Ban Meta are a follow-up to 2021's Facebook Ray-Ban Stories; they have a similar style but a host of improvements under the hood.
Audio on the original smart glasses lacked bass, and the camera wasn't great in low light, we found in our review. Meta seems to have taken both of these issues into account with the upgrade. The camera on the Ray-Ban Meta is a 12MP shooter, upgraded from 5MP, which can record up to 60-second 1080p videos. Meta also promises improved image processing, which should help with low-light performance.
The glasses include all the AR smarts from the prior generation while also supporting hands-free live streaming for up to 30 minutes at a time. For those concerned about surreptitious recording, the smart glasses feature a capture LED that "lets others know when you’re capturing content or going live," Meta says.
The smart glasses come with a five-microphone array to record audio from all directions. They also now feature 32GB of storage to store those videos, up from 4GB in the previous generation.
Meta also baked in Meta AI, which is accessible by saying "Hey Meta." The Meta AI feature is only available in the US at launch with an expanded release expected eventually.
Redesigned speakers should offer twice the amount of bass over the older specs and sound that's 50% louder, Meta says. Directional audio should also improve audio leakage, although we're sure other people will still hear whatever comes out.
The glasses are rechargeable with up to 4 hours of use per charge; the slimmer USB-C charging case offer up to 32 hours of charge time per fully charged case.
The Ray-Ban Meta connect via the Meta View app on your smartphone, which requires a Meta account, and can also tap into Wi-Fi. Apple, Google, and Samsung devices are compatible with the smart glasses. For live-streaming, you'll need a 5G cellular connection or strong Wi-Fi.
The Ray-Ban smart glasses come in two frame shapes, Wayfarer and Headliner. The Wayfarer sports a boxier lens shape while the Headliner is more rounded. Meta says that the frames weigh less and have a slimmer profile than their predecessors. The Wayfarer comes in seven colors while the Headliner comes in eight. They're IPX4 water resistant and can withstand light rain.
Preorders for both are available at Meta's shop or Ray-Ban's website for $299.99, the same price as the previous generation. They can also be fitted with prescription lenses as needed. Orders should start shipping Oct. 23.