Meta's Ray-Ban smartglasses have been a surprising hit over the past couple of years and it sounds like Meta's Ray-Ban Gen 3 may arrive before the end of 2025.
We've been hearing a lot of rumors surrounding the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3, and potentially some more premium smartglasses from Meta, over the past few months. It seems likely Meta will launch its third-gen Ray-Ban glasses this year, potentially with some exciting new features.
If you can't wait to pop on the latest pair of Meta's AI Ray-Bans, here's a look at everything we know, including the price, design, features, and more.
See also: Best laptop deals in April 2025
Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Gen 3: Release date
All year, rumors have been bubbling up about a new pair of Meta Ray-Ban smartglasses, so it's safe to say we will likely be getting the Gen 3 model in 2025.
Meta has been putting its smartglasses in the spotlight a lot recently and seems to have big plans for wearables. It has also released an updated version of the Ray-Ban smartglasses annually since the first version came out in 2023, making a 2025 update even more likely.
One potential time frame for a launch is Meta Connect 2025, which is September 17 and 18. At last year's Connect, Meta unveiled its prototype Orion glasses, so there's a strong possibility we could see more smartglasses announcements from this year's presentation.
It's worth noting, though, that the ever-evolving situation with international trade tariffs could complicate the release date, potentially delaying it or delaying availability specifically in the United States.
Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Gen 3: Price
The current base model of the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2 smartglasses are priced at $299, so it's safe to say the next-gen model will cost at least that much, but it could end up being significantly more expensive for a few reasons.
Over the past few months, we've seen rumors about a premium pair of smartglasses in the works at Meta that will reportedly cost upwards of $1,000. These glasses, code-named "Hypernova", will feature a display and a dedicated camera app.
However, it's still unclear whether the Hypernova glasses are the same as the Ray-Ban Gen 3 or something else entirely. After all, there have also been reports recently that Meta is teaming up with other glasses brands, like Oakley, and Meta announced its own in-house, high-end mixed reality glasses, called "Orion," in September 2024.
So, there are a lot of possibilities surrounding these mysterious Hypernova glasses. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that Meta will continue selling the current Gen 2 Ray-Ban glasses after Hypernova launches, so if the Hypernova glasses aren't the next-gen Ray-Ban glasses, the actual Gen 3 Ray-Bans will likely be priced somewhere between $299 and $1,000 and marketed as a mid-range option.
Either way, it seems Meta is likely working on the Ray-Ban Gen 3 since Mark Zuckerberg specifically referenced "third generation" products when speaking about AI glasses in an investor call in January.
Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Gen 3: Display
The current Meta Ray-Ban smartglasses don't have a display, so it's one of the most highly-anticipated features in the next-gen models. Meta has already made it clear that adding displays to its smartglasses is a top priority. It showed off a particularly impressive prototype of what that could look like with the Orion glasses last year.
We won't get something quite that advanced with the Ray-Ban Gen 3, but a basic display is a strong possibility.
In April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Meta is working on a pair of smartglasses with a display, code-named "Hypernova." It's possible those are the Ray-Ban Gen 3 or a premium version of them. Those glasses are rumored to cost upwards of $1,000, though, so be prepared to pay a premium for that display.
According to Gurman, the display in these glasses will have a display in only the right lens, which will show a basic home screen similar to that on Meta's Quest headsets with circular app icons.
Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Gen 3: Camera
We know that the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3 will continue to focus on taking photos and videos like the previous models. The current Gen 2 model has a 12MP camera that can capture video at up to 30 fps.
The photo and video quality from the current model is decent for the hardware, but there's room for improvement. At minimum, the Gen 3 model will have an updated 12MP sensor, but it's certainly possible we could get a spec bump to support higher resolution photos and higher video frame rates.
Rumors around the camera have been sparse, but Mark Gurman noted in April that Meta considers the current glasses' camera quality similar to Apple's iPhone 11 from 2019. For the next gen model, it's aiming to deliver image quality on par with the camera from the iPhone 13.
Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Gen 3: Features
There's been a lot of speculation about new features we could see on the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3, but some of them could be referring to other glasses Meta is developing.
So far, we know that Meta plans to continue emphasizing camera features with the Ray-Ban Gen 3. It will also continue to lean heavily on Meta's mobile app and feature the same capacitive touch controls on the arms of the glasses we've seen on previous models. Of course, it will also feature Meta's AI.
Beyond that, there are some more speculative exciting features on the Gen 3 Ray-Ban glasses.
For instance, there are rumors Meta will launch the first version of the neural wristband it showed off in a prototype demo for its Orion glasses last year. This wristband lets you interact with smartglasses using subtle hand gestures, a feature usually only seen on bulky VR headsets.
The Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3 could also have a built-in display, as mentioned above, although it sounds like the 2025 model will only have a display in one eye. Meta is working on a second-edition model, the "Hypernova 2," with displays in each eye, but that isn't expected until 2027.
More from Laptop Mag
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
