Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1, Gen 2 or Gen 3: which one to buy
For the first time there are three generations of Ray-Ban Meta on sale at once, and the gap between the cheapest and the dearest is almost double. This is the comparison that actually matters before you pay.
The essentials, in one line
Gen 1 from 247 € · Gen 2 from 419 € · Gen 3 from 449 €.
Gen 2 against Gen 3: the comparison that counts
This is the heart of it, and the answer is surprising: the price gap between the Gen 2 and the Gen 3 is small. Look at the two figures above and you will see we are talking about a few euros, not a generation apart.
For that difference, the Gen 3 gives you:
- One more hour of battery (9 against 8), and 50 more with the case.
- 1080p at 60 fps, which the Gen 2 does not do. For video with movement — sport, children, cycling — that shows more than resolution.
- Ultra HDR photos and adjustable stabilisation.
- An action button to launch whatever you use most without speaking.
- A slimmer, more comfortable frame, and two new shapes: Aviator and Zena.
And a warning, because it has been reported wrong in several places: the Gen 2 already recorded 3K video. 3K is not the Gen 3 novelty. What is new is 60 fps, HDR and battery.
Verdict: if you are buying new, the Gen 3. For how little the price rises, there is no case for taking the older one. The Gen 2 only makes sense at a real, large discount, and that is worth watching in November.
What if I already own a Gen 2?
Do not switch. One hour of battery, 60 fps and a button do not justify paying for a whole new pair. Keep that money for when Muse reaches the glasses, which is the real jump coming.
When the Gen 1 makes sense
The Gen 1 is from 2023 and is being cleared out: it is the cheapest camera-and-AI pair from a known brand. It costs almost half the Gen 3, and in exchange:
- 4 hours of battery instead of 9. That is less than half, and by far its biggest drawback.
- 1080p video instead of 3K.
- It carries the same Meta AI as the rest. Talking to it works the same.
It makes sense if: you want to try the category cheaply, you will use it now and then rather than continuously, or you want a second pair. It does not if you plan to shoot serious video or wear them all day.
What none of the three has
A display. All three are camera, audio and voice glasses: you listen, you do not see anything. If you want information in front of your eyes, that is the Meta Ray-Ban Display, in another league of price and availability.
And if the camera is surplus to you — or wearing one on your face makes you uncomfortable — the Ray-Ban Meta Audio is cheaper than the Gen 3, lasts 12 hours and takes no photos.
Quick summary
- Buying today, want the best: Gen 3.
- Want to spend little and try: Gen 1.
- Already own a Gen 2: stay put.
- Do not want a camera: Audio.
Every price here comes from the model pages and updates itself when it changes. You can see them with their verification date in the catalogue.