Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) smart glasses arrive with significantly better battery life and an improved camera

Meta has announced a follow-up to its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. The new smart glasses are called the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), and they bring several upgrades over the previous generation.

The new Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses come in three styles — Wayfarer, Skyler, and Headliner — with multiple color variants (three of which are limited-time-only seasonal colors) and the choice of clear and transition lenses that become fully clear when indoors and fully dark when outdoors. Like the previous generation, they also have support for prescription lenses.

In terms of hardware upgrades, the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) smart glasses now have significantly longer battery life. According to Meta, the new glasses can last up to 8 hours with typical usage which is double the 4 hours of the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 1) (available on Amazon for $299).

It's not just the glasses that have gotten a battery upgrade; the case provides up to an additional 48 hours, an upgrade from the 36 hours of the previous model. The glasses also charge faster now as a 20-minute charge will take them from empty to 50%.

The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses still have a 12MP ultra-wide camera like the previous generation, but the sensor can now record in 3K Ultra HD at 60fps for clearer videos. Unfortunately, storage remains unchanged at 32GB. Meta has also announced that the new glasses, as well as its other models, including the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, will get an update later this fall that brings support for hyperlapse and slow motion video recording.

Another feature coming via an update to Meta's AI glasses is “Conversation Focus” which uses the built-in speakers on the glasses to amplify the voice of the person a user is talking to. Meta has also released an update that brings support for live translation for German and Portuguese.

The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) smart glasses are available to buy now, starting at $379 in the US, £379 in the UK, and €419 in Europe. Meta is also expanding sales of its new glasses to new regions, starting with Switzerland and the Netherlands, and then Brazil in the near future. Meta still has the previous generation glasses for purchase, starting at $299.