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

Meta Ray-Ban 2

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source 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. 

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.