Meta may have gotten back to its VR roots at this year’s Connect, but that doesn’t mean smart glasses took a backseat. In addition to its first-ever pair of audio-only glasses, Meta annouced new generations and styles of its Ray-Ban smart glasses as well as its first-party Meta smart glasses.
The $449 Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), available today, are the new pair in Meta’s Ray-Ban-branded lineup and come with a few upgrades. Perhaps the most notable upgrade is the battery life, which has been extended by one hour to a total of 9 hours on a single charge. That’s not a huge improvement, but I think having to charge your glasses a little less is something that most people will appreciate.
There are also a couple of new styles, including the Aviator and the Zena. Most people know what Aviator-style glasses are, but the Zena are probably the flashier look, with a distinct cat’s-eye frame.
Meta also tweaked the hardware slightly, adding flexible temple tips so that they bend a bit on wider faces and a new six-mic array that the company says reduces 90% of background noise. Cameras are the same in this generation, with a 12MP sensor capable of shooting 3K video, but there are some new features in the pipeline, including Dynamic Photo, which shoots multiple pictures and then suggests which frame is the best. On the audio side, Meta says it’s going to roll out Dolby Atmos support so that you can capture 360-degree spatial audio when you record as well. That will be available later this year.
Meta is leaning a bit more into accessibility, too, with a new hearing feature meant for mild to moderate hearing loss, though you’ll have to pay $150 a year for that or buy a Meta One subscription. Meta says that feature will be available later this year as well.
In addition to the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), Meta is also expanding the styles for its own first-party glasses with the “Capri” and “Nova” variants. It’s not done with celebrity collabs, either; this time Meta is partnering with Lisa from Blackpink for two different styles. This collection includes the Meta Adventurer Lisa Edition, which Meta describes as a “Moonlit Sky frame with Blush lenses,” and the Meta Capri Lisa Edition, which is an “Eclipse cat-eye frame with grey lenses.” Both cost $399.
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