On Wednesday, Meta Platforms launched its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display, aiming to extend the momentum of its Ray-Ban line, one of the early consumer hits of the artificial intelligence (AI) era.
At Meta’s Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg showcased the Meta Ray-Ban Display and a new wristband controller. He described the glasses as the ideal way for humans to achieve “superintelligence” through AI. “Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence, because they let you stay present in the moment while getting access to all of these AI capabilities that make you smarter, help you communicate better, improve your memory, improve your senses, and more,” Zuckerberg said.
The new Display glasses feature a small digital display in the right lens for basic tasks like notifications. They will be available in stores on September 30, starting at $799. The price includes a wristband that translates hand gestures into commands for tasks such as responding to texts and calls.
This launch, held at Meta’s annual developer conference in Menlo Park, California, is its latest effort to catch up in the high-stakes AI race. While Meta has been a leader in developing smart glasses, it lags behind rivals like OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google in rolling out advanced AI models. Zuckerberg has promised to spend tens of billions of dollars on AI chips and has initiated a talent war in Silicon Valley to poach top engineers.
More Details on the New Glasses
The launch of the new glasses comes as Meta faces scrutiny over its handling of child safety on its social media platforms. Reuters reported in August that Meta’s chatbots engaged children in provocative conversations about sensitive topics, and whistleblowers recently claimed that researchers were told not to study the harmful effects of virtual reality on children.
Meta also unveiled a new pair of Oakley-branded glasses called Vanguard, aimed at athletes and priced at $499. The device integrates with fitness platforms like Garmin and Strava to provide real-time training stats and post-workout summaries, with a battery life of nine hours. It will be available starting October 21.
The company also updated its previous Ray-Ban line, which does not have a built-in display. The updated model now offers almost double the battery life and a better camera for $379, an increase from the previous generation’s price of $299.
While analysts don’t expect the Display glasses to be strong sellers, they see them as a step toward Meta’s planned 2027 launch of its “Orion” glasses. Forrester analyst Mike Proulx compared the Display’s debut to Apple’s introduction of the Apple Watch as an alternative to the smartphone. “Glasses are an everyday, non-cumbersome form factor,” he said, noting that Meta still has a lot of “runway to earn market share.”
All the new devices feature Meta’s existing AI assistant, cameras, hands-free control, and livestreaming to its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. During his demo, Zuckerberg experienced some technical glitches, but the audience cheered in support. Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager for IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, called the Display glasses “great value for the tech you’re getting,” though he cautioned that the software would need to improve before the device becomes a mainstream consumer product. IDC forecasts that worldwide shipments of augmented reality/virtual reality headsets and smart glasses will increase by 39.2% in 2025 to 14.3 million units, with Meta driving much of that growth through the demand for its cheaper Ray-Bans.
