There’s something oddly compelling about the idea of “face computers”, even if most of them have historically felt like tech demos that escaped the lab a little too early. Remember the ill-fated Google Glass? Then Ray-Ban and Meta came together in 2023, which at the time felt like a pretty unlikely pairing. One is a brand that’s spent decades refining how glasses should look and feel on your face. The other is…well, Meta. Not exactly a brand that comes to mind when you think about something you’d willingly wear all day.
And yet, somehow, this pairing works better than it probably should. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses don’t try too hard to look futuristic or stand out in a crowd. If anything, they go in the opposite direction by looking almost boringly normal, which is exactly the point. You could be wearing them on the MRT, at a cafe, or just walking around town, and I’d wager that most people wouldn’t immediately notice that there’s a camera, speakers, and a bunch of sensors sitting right on your face (more on this later). That subtlety is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, because once you get past the idea of wearing a gadget on your face, the rest of the experience starts to make a bit more sense.
Fast forward to 2026, and we now have the Gen 2 version of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. On paper, the upgrades make them easier to take seriously. There’s a new 12MP camera that can shoot up to 3K video, better battery life, improved audio, and tighter integration with Meta’s growing pile of AI features. But they still look like normal Ray-Bans, which is arguably the whole point. Wearing a tech gadget isn’t cool. Wearing a lifestyle accessory is.
During a Meta media event a week ago, I got to pick my test unit from a whole lineup of Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 frames – Wayfarer, Skyler, Headliner, Scriber Optics, Blazyer Optics – so there’s quite a bit of variety depending on what you’re into. I went with the Scriber Optics, mainly because I wanted something I could wear indoors, at work, on public transport, or just going about my day without thinking too much about it. And after spending about a week with it, here’s what I feel about Ray-Ban and Meta’s latest.
It’s a Ray-Ban and that’s a good thing
I picked the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 Scriber Optics for this review.
Photo: HWZ
While my review is focused on the tech features of this Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 Scriber Optics, I can’t help but talk about how these frames are actually pretty good. At almost 50g, they’re not exactly featherlight like standard glasses and I didn’t expect them to be, but they don’t feel overly heavy either, and the weight distribution is handled well enough that I didn’t immediately notice it. That said, after a couple of hours, I did feel it pressing against the bridge of my nose. If you’re not used to wearing glasses regularly, this might feel even more amplified. But let it be said that it’s not uncomfortable in a deal-breaking way, but it’s there, and you will become aware of it.
The Scriber Optics’ build quality feels solid too, which is what I’d expect from something carrying the Ray-Ban name. The hinges feel sturdy, the frame doesn’t creak, and it doesn’t feel like you’re holding something fragile. If anything, the design does a good job of hiding the fact that there’s quite a bit of tech crammed into it. But realistically, you’re not buying these for the frame. You’re buying them for everything Meta has stuffed inside, and that’s where things start to get a bit more interesting and occasionally a bit frustrating.
