Ray-Ban Meta (gen 3) smart glasses — lots more styles, longer battery life, but same privacy controls

At Meta Connect 2026, the tech giant unveiled the third generation of its popular Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses. The updates to the glasses are largely aesthetic, featuring a new button, enhanced comfort through adjustable temple tips, and longer battery life compared to the previous Gen 2 model. Users can now enjoy 27 color and lens combinations, including Black, Havana, and selected seasonal hues across three distinct styles.

Additionally, Meta introduced two fresh frame designs: the Ray-Ban Meta Aviator and the Ray-Ban Meta Zena, the latter resembling a cat-eye shape. The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) is now accessible starting at $449, while a forthcoming feature aimed at assisting those with mild to moderate hearing loss is expected to launch simultaneously.

This audio-enhancing functionality will require a one-time fee of $149.99 or be integrated into the Meta One subscription plan.

Beyond the visual enhancements, the third generation boasts an improved 6-microphone array designed to minimize background noise, granting users up to nine hours of continuous usage, surpassing the eight hours offered by the previous generation. The new action button, customizable to suit individual preferences, primarily serves as a quick access point to Meta AI capabilities.

Users will also be able to capture landscape or portrait-oriented photos and dynamically generate multiple images in a single shot, ensuring that they never miss a memorable moment. Furthermore, Meta announced plans to roll out software updates later in the year, which will enable users to capture Dolby Atmos videos and create 360-degree spatial audio recordings.

While the new Ray-Ban Meta glasses offer more styling options, the list of groundbreaking updates is relatively short compared to previous releases. Privacy controls, a topic of interest among consumers, were not among the highlights of Meta's announcement. However, the company did introduce an audio-only variant of the smart glasses and unveiled a new VR headset featuring hands-free controls.