October marks the two-year anniversary of the release of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the successful follow-up to 2022's Ray-Ban Stories. The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses were a turning point for smart glasses as a product category, and depending on what Meta decides to release under the Ray-Ban name, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) could be the next revolution.
This year has brought a bevy of leaks for Meta's next-generation smart glasses. We've heard everything from Meta branching out to make separate styles for sunglasses and prescription glasses, to a third tier with a display in one of the lenses.
Whatever happens this year, we're expecting big things from Meta, as the company seems to shy away from the typical annual product release cycle and only releases hardware when something worthwhile is ready. Here's everything we know about Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) so far.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3): Price and availability
From what we know so far, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) will ship in two main styles: Optical and Sunglasses. If this is the case, it would be an interesting new direction as Meta has always provided the same types of lenses for each style of glasses it launches. Even the recently launched Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses feature multiple styles with the same lens options.
There's no word on price differences for these two models just yet, but previous pairs of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have cost between $299-$349, depending on style and lenses chosen. Prescription lenses typically add extra cost.
Based on leaks from the XR Research Institute, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) should arrive by the end of 2025. If so, we expect them to be unveiled at Meta Connect 2025 in mid-September.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3): Design and features
We think Meta is breaking its third-generation Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses into two styles so that they can support a wider range of prescription lenses than the current Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses offer. The current frames can't properly fit certain lenses, so having a separate design for optical versus sunglasses would solve this problem.
So far, we've seen two leaks pointing toward Meta launching dual designs for Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) called "Aperol" and "Bellini." Both styles are reportedly going to receive the next-generation Meta AI assistant, which will be able to run for hours at a time rather than the current 30-minute limit.
This is almost certainly designed to go head-to-head with Android XR smart glasses, which, as Google demonstrated on stage at Google I/O 2025, can record live for long periods and remember things for you. One of the most commonly cited uses is helping remember where you left your wallet or car keys by asking the AI assistant.
In addition to that, next-generation Meta AI on Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3) is said to be able to recognize faces. That can be useful in any place where you've met someone before but can't remember their name.
We're also expecting much better battery life based on these examples, plus the information found in leaks to date. Our Oakley Meta HSTN camera review showed that Meta has nearly doubled battery life compared to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, despite using the same chipset.
If Meta can pack in the latest Qualcomm AR1+ Gen 1 chipset into Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3), it's entirely possible that battery life will eclipse Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses by quite a bit.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3): Glasses with a screen?
For months now, we've seen leaks about an upcoming pair of Meta smart glasses that feature a screen in one of the lenses. While I used a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses for the mockup you see above, this new pair of display-equipped Meta smart glasses may look closer to the thicker frames of Meta Orion than existing Ray-Ban Smart Glasses.
These display-equipped glasses are currently known as Meta Hypernova, but it's not clear if Meta will be using the Ray-Ban branding or another brand altogether. Meta currently owns 3% of EssilorLuxottica as of July 9, 2025, so we expect both companies to continue to leverage the many different brands as a way to better market upcoming smart glasses.
Hypernova is said to feature a single display placed inside one lens and will ship with an sEMG bracelet to make controlling the glasses effortless. This bracelet makes it possible to use smartphone-like gestures with your hands, but without the need to touch floating virtual objects as you might on a VR headset.
Instead, the bracelet understands how the muscles in your wrist relate to your finger movements and can accurately translate that into clicks, pinches, and even typing based on how you're holding your hand. It also means you can easily look at an icon on the glasses' screen and pinch your fingers to open an app, even if your hands are resting in your lap.
The sEMG bracelet I used during my Meta Orion hands-on had haptic feedback, as well, so it felt like I was physically interacting with virtual objects, even though they weren't "real." You can see the bracelet on me in the photo above.
We don't know exactly when Hypernova will launch or what the price tag will be, but the rumor is that it could debut sometime late this year or early 2026 with a price tag well above the current Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
