Meta has unveiled the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 smart glasses, its latest flagship wearable announced at Meta Connect 2026. The new model represents an iterative update with modest hardware improvements and mostly software-driven features, making it challenging to justify the £349 starting price for those considering an upgrade from the Gen 2 model. The vast majority of new software features will also be available on older Gen 2 glasses, further questioning the value proposition for existing users.

The primary hardware changes include extended battery life—up to 9 hours per charge compared to 8 hours on Gen 2, and 50 hours with the charging case versus 48 hours—and an additional microphone in a redesigned six-microphone array for improved noise reduction during calls and AI interactions. Meta has introduced two new frame styles, the Aviator and Zena, with the Gen 3 models being marginally smaller in dimensions yet slightly heavier than their predecessors. The Gen 3 also gains a versatile action button that can summon Meta AI or serve as a capture shortcut, compared to Gen 2's capture-only button, with future support for recording Dolby Atmos spatial audio arriving later in 2026.