(Image credit: Josh Edelson / AFP / Getty Images)

Smart glasses haven't always been a huge hit. We all remember Google Glass, which have been discontinued for a decade now, while Snap's Spectacles are only available to developers for now.

However, as soon as Ray-Ban and Meta teamed up, smart glasses were taken to a different level. The two companies managed to fuse technology with fashionable sunglasses – ones that were instantly recognisable and already popular.

The latest Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses arrived in 2023, and come in various shapes and styles – Wayfarer, Headliner and Skyler. There have also been some Oakley-branded Meta glasses that have launched since.

What could the new Ray-Ban Meta 3 glasses offer?

But now, the latest reports suggest Ray-Ban and Meta are working on a third generation of their glasses, with images and information posted to a group called the XR Research Institute on WeChat.

These images were reported by Upload VR (via 9to5Google) and they present what appear to be two new models .

(Image credit: Upload VR)

According to the pics, we'll be getting a Ray-Ban Meta 3 pair, apparently internally codenamed Aperol. Another pair will be the Ray-Ban Meta 3 Optical, codenamed Bellini. We enjoy both of the codenamed drinks thoroughly, so we're hopeful the smart glasses will give us as much joy if and when they launch.

The Ray-Ban Meta 3 don't look like current Ray-Ban Meta glasses in terms of shape, although Ray-Ban does have similar styles in its traditional sunglass range. The Ray-Ban Meta 3 Optical seems to be focused on more traditional glasses.

In terms of details, the leak talks about "significantly better" battery life for the third-generation smart glasses too, suggesting Meta's Live AI feature will be able to run for "hours" as opposed to the 30-minute max you get now.

We've seen the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses arrive with better battery life in recent weeks, so this all makes sense.

It's also said in the leak that AI features could improve, with "real-time object recognition and scene understanding".

For now, nothing official has been revealed by Ray-Ban or Meta.

The previous generation of glasses were announced during the Meta Connect event at the end of September 2023. And as the 2025 event is set for 17 and 18 September, perhaps we will see the new Ray-Ban Meta 3 Smart Glasses there?