Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) testers praise the camera and calls, and split on Meta AI

At a glance

Best for: people whose main reasons are the camera and calls.

Skip it if: music you really want to hear is the point, since one reviewer still prefers earbuds for that.

Reviewers agree: the camera and calls are the clear wins.

They split on: Meta AI, where translation won praise but one tester wasn't impressed, and on fit.

Six months into owning Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), Josh Teder could wear them outdoors for hours without reaching the battery limit that the first-generation pair had hit, he wrote in his April 2026 review for 6 Months Later. He sums them up as Ray-Bans with open-ear speakers, which leave your ears uncovered, and a camera, useful wherever pulling out a phone is awkward or unsafe.[1]

The camera draws the warmest praise. After several months of almost daily wear, Vladyslav Shamshurov films while cycling and walking his dog, he says in a June 2026 VGTimes review, and the phone leaves his pocket less often. Michael L. Hicks, in his October 2025 Android Central review, finds them excellent for quick snaps he'd miss while reaching for a phone, though night shots come out blurry.[2] [3]

Calls and podcasts are the other clear win. Shamshurov rates the five-microphone calls excellent, and Angshuman Dutta had no complaint after dozens of calls and professional meetings for Sportskeeda, adding that earphones aren't needed unless it's noisy or windy. At WIRED, Boone Ashworth found podcasts and calls sound great, though he still prefers earbuds for music he really wants to hear.[2] [4] [5]

Hicks calls battery life the most important upgrade: nonstop music, 3K video and frequent AI commands cost him about 20% an hour, while photos and a few questions came closer to Meta's promised 12.5% an hour. At Engadget, Karissa Bell got a little over five and a half hours of continuous music, against Meta's claim of up to eight hours of typical use, and Dutta saw roughly six hours of mixed city use and about four under heavy load.[3] [6] [4]

Meta AI is where opinions split. Bell's favourite ability is translation, which she used to follow a walking tour in Argentina, and Ashworth finds translation and whispered map directions very helpful. Teder wasn't impressed in the situations he tried, and his verdict is a tepid yes, held back by privacy reports and the companion app. In daily use, his tap-and-hold shortcut starts an Apple Music station, and Shamshurov mostly uses voice for Apple Music and the camera.[1] [2] [6] [5]

Fit varies by wearer. Shamshurov felt nose-bridge pressure after more than three hours, then managed eight hours straight within a couple of weeks. Ashworth had deep red divots after a couple of hours, and Hicks found the Standard size secure but pressing into the nose and the Large drifting down on walks and runs. Dutta's right temple came loose at the hinge in June 2026 and the pair was replaced, and he says you'll enjoy them even if you never engage with the AI. If the camera and calls are your reasons, spend a few hours in both Wayfarer sizes before you choose.[2] [5] [3] [4]