Ray-Ban Meta glasses Gen 1: price, stock, specs and who should still buy it.

How much are Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 glasses now?

Ray-Ban Meta launched in 2023 at $299, according to Meta’s announcement. Today Meta’s US storeshows a lower price beside each original list price. This is Meta’s pricing, as it displayed it on September 30, 2026:

Source: Gen 1 product pages and the refurbished store on meta.com, checked September 30, 2026 from a US address. Prescription lenses cost extra.

The new-pair prices are roughly 25% under the list prices Meta still shows. For every Meta model’s current price, from Gen 1 up to the Display, see our Meta glasses price guide.

Are the Gen 1 Meta glasses discontinued?

Meta has not said so on the pages we read: the Gen 1 Wayfarer (4 colours) and Gen 1 Skyler (4 colours) are still in its shop-all listing. In practice, though, Gen 1 is selling out. On September 30, 2026 we opened all eight Gen 1 colour pages Meta links to, four Wayfarer and four Skyler, and every one showed Out of stock, with a “For newer styles and tech: Shop Gen 2” prompt above the price. Stock can vary by location and change daily, so check again before you plan around it.

Some third-party opticians and electronics retailers still list Gen 1. If you buy from one, check that the seller is authorised, because warranty claims run through EssilorLuxottica, which gives 12 months against manufacturing defects on a new pair.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses Gen 1 specs

From the specifications panel on Meta’s Gen 1 Wayfarer page, read on September 30, 2026:

• Camera: 12 MP ultra-wide; photos at 3024 × 4032 pixels
• Video: 1080p at 30 or 60 fps; 720p at 120 fps; no 3K mode
• Audio: two open-ear speakers with adaptive volume; 5-mic array
• Battery: up to 4 hours on a charge, up to 36 hours with a fully charged case; the case recharges in 3.5 hours
• Storage: 32GB
• Weight: 48 g standard, 50 g large; the case is 133 g
• Size (standard): 50 mm lens, 22 mm bridge, 150 mm temples; large is 53 / 22 / 155 mm
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3; iOS 15.2+ or Android 10+
• Prescription: the spec panel lists -12.00 to +6.00 total power; an FAQ on the same page says -6.00 to +6.00, so confirm your range at checkout
• Display: none
• Warranty: 12 months against manufacturing defects, from EssilorLuxottica

The headline weaknesses are visible right there: 4 hours of battery and 1080p as the top video mode. At launch, Meta described 1080p videos of up to 60 seconds.

What do Gen 1 Meta glasses do?

The feature list is close to the newer generations because most features live in software. Gen 1 takes photos and video with a press of the capture button or a “Hey Meta” voice command, plays audio through speakers in the arms, makes calls and video calls, sends messages, and answers questions through Meta AI. Meta’s Gen 1 page lists live conversation translation in French, Italian, Spanish and English, a shorter list than the 20 languages it shows for Gen 2. Everything runs through the Meta AI app. Our what Meta glasses do guide explains each feature in plain terms.

Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 vs Gen 2

From the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Wayfarer pages on meta.com, checked September 30, 2026.

The trade is simple: Gen 2 doubles the battery and adds 3K video for $155 more than Gen 1’s current price. The full comparison, including Gen 3, is in Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 vs Gen 1, and our Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 guidecovers Gen 2’s prices and sizes in depth.

Refurbished Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1

With new Gen 1 stock gone from Meta’s store, refurbished is the main way to buy one from Meta. Its refurbished store listed the Gen 1 Wayfarer in 3 colours from $197 and the Gen 1 Skyler in 1 colour from $227, described as “backed by a one-year limited warranty”. A refurbished pair has a used battery, and battery was already Gen 1’s weak point, so keep the 4-hour rating as a ceiling rather than an expectation. What refurbished means in Meta’s terms, and whether a refurbished Gen 2 exists, is covered in our refurbished Meta glasses guide.

Is Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 still worth it? Who should buy it

1. You found a new pair at around $224 from an authorised seller: it is the cheapest way into the Ray-Ban Meta experience, with the same camera resolution and Meta AI.
2. Your use is short bursts: photos on a walk, a few calls, music on the commute. Four hours is enough if you are not filming for long.
3. You want the lightest Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: at 48 g standard, Gen 1 is lighter than Gen 2 (51 g) and Gen 3 (51.5 g).
4. You need prescription lenses on a budget: Gen 1 is prescription-ready, which OXIVUE frames are not.
5. Skip it if you want all-day battery, 3K video or the most translation languages. Gen 2 at $379, or Gen 3 at $449, is the better buy.

New camera glasses under $200 instead of Gen 1

If Gen 1 is out of stock and refurbished does not appeal, the other route is new camera-and-audio glasses from a different maker. We make some, so weigh this accordingly. OXIVUE frames give up the Ray-Ban name, Meta AI, prescription lenses and 12 MP photos, and none has a display. In exchange they are new, in stock and under Gen 1’s current price, with two-way translation through the free HeyCyan app, no Meta or social-media account and no subscription.

OXIVUE list prices; one pair is currently $50 off at checkout, applied automatically. The M08 family translates 40+ languages and the M14 139, and only the wearer hears the translation through the open-ear speakers. All specs are side by side on our comparison page, and a ranked list of non-Meta options is in Ray-Ban Meta alternatives.

Bottom line

Ray-Ban Meta glasses Gen 1 are still listed by Meta at $224, but new stock had run out on every colour we checked, and the realistic way to get one from Meta now is refurbished from $197. Gen 1 still has the 12 MP camera and Meta AI; it is held back by 4 hours of battery and 1080p video. If you want a Ray-Ban Meta, Gen 2 at $379 is the sensible floor. If you want hands-free photos, open-ear audio and translation for less, the OXIVUE M08 at $149is new, in stock and ships free in the US from $99, in 5–9 business days, with a 2-year warranty on the frame.

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