On Wednesday, Meta announced a new pair of Ray-Ban branded smart glasses with built-in displays for right lens apps, alerts and orientations. Smart glasses are controlled by wristbands that pick up subtle hand gestures called metalneural bands.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new product called the Meta Ray-Ban Display. Unlike Orion, the company’s annual developer conference, the Meta Connect 2025, Zuckerberg is a product that can be purchased in a few weeks starting September 30th and costs $799.
This is Meta’s latest attempt to ship consumer smart glasses that can handle many of the tasks that users traditionally do on smartphones. For years, Meta has been forced to reach users through competitor devices, devices sold by Google and Apple. Meta has invested billions in virtual reality headsets, but smart glasses with AI seem like the most promising way for companies to connect with users on their own hardware.
With the Meta Ray-Ban display, Meta aims to build the success of the original Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Just like the Ray-Ban Meta, the Metaray-Ban display is equipped with an onboard AI assistant, not just a camera, speakers and microphone. Glasses allow users to connect to the cloud and access the Internet and social media apps.
According to Meta, the display allows users to do more with smart glasses. Users can view meta apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and more. Users can also view directions and check live translations on the smart glasses display.
The neural bands that ship along the device are similar to Fitbit, but do not have a screen. Users can navigate the app with small hand movements. Zuckerberg said on stage that the metaleneural band has an 18-hour battery life and is water resistant.
The device uses an electromyography (EMG) to pick up signals sent between the brain and hands as they perform gestures. Meta bets that this interface will be a new way for users to control their devices.
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Earlier this week, a video leaked Meta’s latest smart glasses. CNBC and Bloomberg previously reported that internally known as HyperNova smart glasses will be announced at this year’s Connect Conference.
It is worth noting that Metaray-Ban Display is far less capable than Orion Smart Glass Meta showed off at Connect 2024. It may take a few years for Meta to sell Orion.
Still, Meta hopes to be able to win the smart glass race by marketing first with real products. However, Google and Apple could potentially launch their own smart glasses in the coming years. These devices will undoubtedly be able to integrate into the respective operating systems of Google and Apple, providing considerable leg over the meta.
