Which Meta Ray-bans Model Should You Buy? I Tested Both Pairs, And Here's How To Decide

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The Meta Ray-Bans are arguably nan astir successful AI hardware merchandise successful nan past 3 years, pinch capable momentum to promote Mark Zuckerberg to walk 80% of nan September Meta Connect keynote discussing nan past, present, and early of smart glasses.

Also: I utilized nan Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, and they connection 2 breakthroughs to return america beyond smartphones

While overmuch of nan fanfare was reserved for nan caller Ray-Ban Display glasses, which characteristic a waveguide strategy that projects ocular cues, navigation pathways, a camera viewfinder, and more, nan 2nd procreation of nan original Meta Ray-Bans besides launched. In galore ways, they win their predecessor pinch meaningful upgrades. But you'll want to statement nan drawbacks too.

I've tested some nan first and 2nd generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses, and present are nan cardinal reasons for and against buying nan latest model.

Specifications

You should bargain nan Meta Ray-Ban (2nd Gen) if...

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1. You want nan best-looking video from your eyewear

Arguably, nan biggest betterment pinch nan newest Ray-Ban smart glasses is nan expertise to grounds successful 3K video resolution. That's connected par pinch nan much costly Meta Oakley HSTN model, and footage is noticeably sharper and much vivid erstwhile compared to nan older Ray-Bans' 1080p recordings.

Also: I biked pinch nan Meta Oakley Vanguard, and they're easy nan champion smart glasses for athletes

The footage is still constricted to a 4:3 facet ratio, making it optimal for societal media sharing, TikToks, and different mobile-centric platforms, but little truthful for long-form content. However, nan bump successful solution should astatine slightest make cropping and cutting much forgiving pinch nan second-gen Meta Ray-Bans.

2. Battery worry is simply a large no-no for you

While I wouldn't opportunity that nan original Ray-Ban smart glasses were importantly underwhelming successful endurance, contented creators and powerfulness users were capable to tally done nan artillery wrong 2 to 3 hours. Like nan Oakley HSTN, nan caller Ray-Ban exemplary has doubly nan artillery life standing arsenic its predecessor, pinch Meta suggesting up to 8 hours of audio streaming compared to 4 hours.

You should bargain nan Meta Ray-Ban (1st Gen) if...

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1. The caller package features liking you

Meta announced a swath of caller AI features alongside nan Ray-Ban (2nd Gen), astir of which will trickle down to nan 1st-gen model wrong nan coming months. Tools for illustration Conversation Focus, which amplify nan speaker successful beforehand of you, and Live AI, a multimodal characteristic that tin support way and interact pinch items, tasks, and different biology objects, are connected nan early update list.

Also: I tried smart glasses pinch a built-in display, and they hit my Meta Ray-Bans successful cardinal ways

So, if nan caller package features intrigue you much than nan hardware itself, it whitethorn make much consciousness for you to either support your existing smart glasses or, if you're not an owner, bargain nan older exemplary instead.

2. You'd for illustration to prevention $80 (and perchance more)

The caller Meta Ray-Ban glasses travel pinch an $80 upcharge, raising nan starting value from $299 to $379. It's still a reasonable price, considering nan quality-of-life changes that travel pinch it, but if you're shopping connected a budget, it whitethorn make much financial consciousness for you to put successful nan older model, which Meta still sells connected its website.

And that's comparing nan unit prices. Over nan past respective months, I've seen nan first-generation Meta Ray-Bans database for arsenic debased arsenic $240, and I'm expecting much of that going into nan vacation season. It's besides worthy checking retired Meta's refurbished but discounted storefront.