Meta has announced a new generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses – Gen 3 – bringing a raft of new features to the controversial camera glasses, as well as new style alternatives that will remove the connection with the classic dark 'Wayfarer' style and cameras.
The biggest change is the arrival of two new stlyes – Aviator and a more angular design dubbed Zena. Fans of the classic, worry not: Wayfarer is still an option.
This wider choice could mean that the glasses are even harder to identify for those who have begun to associate it with classic Ray-Bans, but of course it also opens up the tech to people who wouldn't consider that look for themselves.
My wife would point out to me that the choice of styles is important because glasses might go with one outfit and not another – pricing might keep us away from that point yet.
In fact, this generation does come at the cost of, literally, more cost. The latest models start at $449 / £409 which is a notable jump from the earlier Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, which launched at $379 / £379.
The increased cost also buys improvements, though.
Those improvements don't seem to include a change to the 12MP camera, but the audio quality has seen a bump. There is a new six-microphone array (up from 5) which can improve the quality of noise cancellation, and recorded audio conforms to Dolby Atmos standard – a new feature for Gen 3 video.
Personally, I don't see this being the platform for spatial sound systems, but more likely to be a hit is that landscape video is finally supported – yes, not everyone in the world lives on Instagram or TikTok!
Since the audio system is also key to interacting hands-free with the glasses, any improvement in its ability to listen is welcome.
There is also a programmable action button, as seen on the Meta glasses in the past. It can be set to trigger just about any action you choose – including capture.
The battery life has been increased from eight to nine hours, which (taken from the 5 hours or so on the originals) is good progress. Times, though, are not tested yet, and are generally based on audio playback.
Finally, there are adjustable temple tips on these glasses, so fitting them should be a little easier, making them a good candidate for the best camera glasses once they're available.
Oh, and probably not really one for us, but as predicted, the company also launched some Meta smart glasses without a camera.
