Meta has taken a big step with its most recent glasses release. The new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses (part of Meta’s Ray-Ban / EssilorLuxottica partnership) are the first consumer smart glasses from the company that include a built-in display in one lens. They combine AI features, gesture control via wristband, and classic Ray-Ban style. Here is a detailed look at what they offer, what challenges lie ahead, and what they might mean for the future of wearable tech.
What are Meta Glasses (Ray-Ban Display)
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses are smart glasses with a heads-up display (HUD) built into the right lens. Key features:
- Display: A full-color, high-resolution display (600×600 pixels), off to the side of your view so that it doesn’t block vision. It supports things like messages, live video calls, navigation previews, live captions, and translation.
- Controls: The glasses come with a gesture-based control via the Meta Neural Band, a wristband that senses muscle signals (EMG) to interpret gestures. You can swipe, pinch, rotate wrist, etc.
- Battery life: Mixed use gives about 6 hours of battery on the glasses themselves. The charging case adds substantially more usage (up to ~30 hours total when including case).
- Physical design: Two frame sizes (standard & large), available in a couple of colors (Black and Sand). Lenses are Transitions® so they adapt to light, for indoor / outdoor use.
- Price and availability: Priced at US$799, includes both the glasses and the Neural Band. Launch in the United States begins September 30, 2025. Initial retailers include Best Buy, Ray-Ban stores, LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and select Verizon stores. Expansion to other markets (Canada, France, Italy, UK) expected in early 2026.
Other Models
Meta also introduced other smart glasses alongside the Ray-Ban Display:
- Oakley Meta Vanguard: Designed for sports / fitness use. It comes with enhancements like a central action camera, integration with fitness platforms (e.g. Garmin, Strava), louder speakers, longer battery (~9 hours), water resistance tailored to more active use. Price: US$499.
- Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Upgrade to the earlier Ray-Ban smart glasses line. Improved camera, better battery life (roughly double the previous generation), some upgraded features. Cost: approx US$379.
Innovations & What’s New
- Using an in-lens display gives Meta glasses a new kind of on-device visual output, allowing many smartphone-like tasks without pulling out a phone.
- Gesture control via a wristband is significant because it reduces need for buttons or touch pads on the glasses themselves, helping maintain form factor and usability.
- Live capture of speech (live captions), translation, visual responses from Meta AI, navigation previews: these are all ways in which the glasses become more than just “camera + speakers” and move toward real augmented assistance.
Challenges and Concerns
- Price: At US$799, these glasses are expensive. That may limit adoption especially outside wealthy or tech-avid consumers.
- Battery / usage time: Mixed-use battery life of 6 hours is decent but could feel limiting for heavy users. Also, using the display heavily will probably drain battery faster.
- Privacy: Any device with cameras, microphones, always on sensors, or gesture recognition raises concerns about what is recorded, who has access, how obvious recording is to bystanders, etc. Meta has placed a small LED to indicate recording.
Comfort & wearability: With the display and the band, and the added weight / bulk, some users may find them less comfortable than ordinary glasses over long periods. Early reviews note they are a bit chunkier.
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