When it comes to smart glasses, Meta is a clear champion for delivering a stylish pair of shades for everyday use. First with its Ray-Ban Meta smart specs, then with its Oakley Meta HSTN. And now, a next-gen pair appears to be in the works: Ray-Ban Meta 3 Smart Glasses.
Following in the footsteps of its first AI smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 specs are rumored to deliver all-new designs (in two styles), an upgraded vision of multi-modal Meta AI and an updated chipset featuring the latest Snapdragon AR1+. That means even longer battery life. Now that Meta Connect 2025 is taking place September 17, it's looking mighty likely that Meta has a next-gen pair of AI smart glasses on their hands — all in Ray-Ban fashion. But that's not all, as the Meta "Hypernova" smart glasses (display included) may also take some of the spotlight.
With Ray-Ban Metas still being the best smart glasses to grab, the Gen 3 models have some pretty big shoes to fill, but rumors suggest these smart specs won't have much trouble doing so. With that, let's dive into what we know about the Ray-Ban Meta 3 Smart Glasses so far.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Gen 3: Rumored price and release date
With Meta Connect 2025 kicking off with a keynote from Mark Zuckerberg on September 17 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, we expect to hear the latest the tech giant has up its sleeves, and all signs are pointing towards the future of smart glasses.
Namely, its next-gen Ray-Ban Meta 3 Smart Glasses (also dubbed as Gen 3). As reported, Meta is tipped to launch two new smart glasses during its annual product showcase. This comes from CNBC, stating that a "third generation of its voice-only smart glasses with Luxottica" lenses are set to arrive.
Along with this, a previous report detailed upgraded pairs of Ray-Ban Meta glasses coming this year. According to a group named XR Research Institute (via UploadVR), two models will be on the way, including sunglasses codenamed "Aperol" and prescription eyewear called "Bellini."
While it makes sense for Zuckerberg to reveal the company's next AI specs during the event, it isn't certain if Meta will focus more on its other rumored "Hypernova" (otherwise known as Meta Celeste) surprise.
This is due to a report from The Information, stating that the Ray-Ban Meta successor would arrive in 2026. However, this could mean that the smart specs will launch next year, but at least be revealed at the event.
As for pricing, there have been no murmurs about how much the Ray-Ban Meta 3s will cost. However, considering the original pair cost from $299, it's likely Meta will try to stick to this pricing.
In any case, it won't be much longer until we find out. At the very least, it's been two years since the original Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses launched (September 2023), and with recent releases like the Even Realities G1 and latest Rokid Glasses (bringing AI and AR together), it will be timely for Meta to deliver a next-gen pair of AI specs.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Gen 3: Design
Thanks to the XR Research Institute, we may have a first look at what Ray-Ban Meta 3 will look like — in two styles, no less.
First, the "Bellini" models look remarkably similar to the Headliner style currently offered on the Ray-Ban Metas, suggesting it won't be a huge departure from the originals. However, it's the "Aperol" sunglasses that stand out the most. These fall more in line with the Oakley Meta HSTN specs, albeit less angular and more like a thick pair of Ray-Ban Aviators.
Now, there's no telling if these designs are accurate, as it would be a departure from what Meta currently offers with its Ray-Ban lineup. There are three styles: Wayfarer, Headliner and Skyler. But these can be fitted with different lenses, including Clear, Graphite, Transition and more.
It would be interesting to see if the next-gen pair of specs comes in two distinct styles: one for sunglasses and the other for clear eyewear. That said, I doubt Meta will offer a single type of lenses for both styles.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Gen 3: Features
Meta has already knocked it out of the park with its consistent support for Meta AI on its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, delivering an ever-expanding suite of multi-modal AI features for users. Follow that with the improved battery compared to the Oakley HSTN Meta smart glasses (up to eight hours), and it's looking like the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 are ready for major upgrades.
The current Ray-Ban Metas, along with the Oakley Metas, have access to Meta AI for vocal queries, live translation and can make calls or texts when connected to a smartphone. Those AI features continue to expand, but the Gen 3 pair may take this to new heights.
As per The Information, Meta will deliver a Live AI upgrade, allowing the smart spec's AI to "see what its user does and respond in real-time, for hours." That, and it may have the ability to recognize faces thanks to this always-on AI, as reported by UploadVR. This is apparently known as "super sensing," allowing users to recall past faces and items, like finding out where you left your wallet.
With the latest Snapdragon AR1+ chip from Qualcomm, along with its joint venture with VoxelSensors that provides up to 10x power savings with lower latency using XR apps in smart glasses and advancing Physical AI, this could be possible in the Ray-Ban Meta 3 glasses.
Speaking of, with the upgraded battery life in the Oakley smart specs, taking it from the Ray-Bans' six hours to eight hours, that's a good sign we'll be seeing better battery life, too. With an all-new chip powered by the aforementioned Snapdragon, we hope to see this blow way past this.
Of course, only time will tell, but it will need to deliver all the features we'd expect to see from Android XR smart glasses from Google, and the upcoming Snap Spectacles.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Gen 3: Worth the wait?
With the upgrades the Ray-Ban Meta 3 Smart Glasses are rumored to deliver, these should bring a substantial update to Meta's popular smart glasses. Will these be a huge departure from the latest Ray-Ban Meta specs? It's hard to know, but one thing's for sure: Meta wants to be the de facto smart glasses brand with built-in AI, and it appears to be making a monumental effort to be at the top.
As the smart glasses race heats up, with Samsung even tipped to be making its own Meta Ray-Ban-style smart glasses, it's clear that the time is ripe for Meta to deliver its next-gen pair of AI glasses, and the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3s are the perfect candidate.
Either way, it won't be long until we find out if Meta has another pair of smart specs up its sleeve, as Meta Connect 2025 is coming in hot. If you were hoping to see a Meta Quest 4 make an appearance, though, we may have to wait until a later date.
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