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At its annual “Meta Connect” developers conference, tech giant Meta unveiled a new suite of AI-powered smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban and Oakley.
The new lineup includes the company’s first smart glasses with a built-in augmented reality display, signalling a major push to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday life.
The flagship product, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, features a full-colour, high-resolution screen projected onto the inside of the right lens, appearing just below the wearer’s eye line. This display allows users to conduct video calls, see messages and view augmented reality content.
The glasses are equipped with a 12-megapixel camera and can be controlled using voice commands or through a new “neural wristband” that detects the electrical impulses in the forearm to translate small hand gestures into actions.
Powered by Meta’s AI, the glasses can provide real-time translations of conversations, display information on landmarks, give walking directions, and even assist with recipes.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display will be available in the US from late September for a price of $799. It will subsequently launch in the UK, France, Italy, and Canada in early 2026.
Beyond the flagship model, Meta also introduced the Oakley Meta Vanguard, a performance-focused pair of smart glasses aimed at sports enthusiasts. Priced at $499 and shipping from October 21, these wrap-around glasses feature a central camera, speakers, and microphones.
They can link with Garmin smartwatches and bike computers, allowing users to ask for real-time data like heart rate, speed, and distance. A unique feature enables the camera to automatically capture video clips at specific milestones, creating a highlight reel of a workout or race.
The company also announced a second generation of its popular Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which are now priced at $379. This updated model boasts double the battery life and a higher-resolution video camera.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg championed the technology as a “huge scientific breakthrough,” stating that glasses are the ideal platform for AI to “see what you see, hear what you hear.”
Analysts suggest that smart glasses are more likely to succeed than the company’s multi-billion dollar Metaverse project. “Unlike VR headsets, glasses are an everyday, non-cumbersome form factor,” said Forrester VP, Research Director Mike Proulx. However, experts note that the company still faces the challenge of convincing consumers that the benefits outweigh the cost.
The product launches come as Meta faces ongoing scrutiny and protests over the impact of its platforms on children, with recent testimonies from former safety researchers alleging the company covered up potential harms related to its VR products. Meta denies the claims.
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