Meta Unveils $799 Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses with Integrated Screen

Meta Platforms Inc. has launched its first smart glasses with a built-in screen, the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display. The glasses feature a screen in the right lens, allowing users to access text messages, video calls, turn-by-turn directions, AI queries, photos, music controls, and a digital viewfinder for the camera. The glasses introduce a new control system, including hand gestures detected by a neural wristband, and will be sold by Ray-Ban and other retailers starting September 30.

Meta Platforms Inc. has unveiled its first smart glasses with a built-in screen, the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display. The glasses feature a screen in the right lens, allowing users to access text messages, video calls, turn-by-turn directions, AI queries, photos, music controls, and a digital viewfinder for the camera. The glasses introduce a new control system, including hand gestures detected by a neural wristband, and will be sold by Ray-Ban and other retailers starting September 30.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display represents a significant advancement in augmented reality (AR) technology, integrating a heads-up display (HUD) into stylish Ray-Ban frames. The HUD can overlay digital visuals onto the wearer's view of the real world, offering practical features such as navigation arrows, incoming messages, and AI assistant responses. The glasses are expected to run on a variant of Meta's wearable operating system, similar to Snap's Spectacles, enabling real-time data overlays and voice-activated assistants.

The control system of the Meta Ray-Ban Display is innovative, featuring an electromyography (EMG) wristband that detects subtle hand gestures. This technology, developed by CTRL-Labs and acquired by Meta, allows users to control the glasses' interface without needing to raise their hands in front of their face. The wristband can sense individual finger movements for text input, making the glasses' operation intuitive and discreet.

In terms of hardware specifications, the glasses use a monocular micro-display with a limited field of view of approximately 20 degrees. This design choice keeps the glasses lightweight and stylish, with the addition of the display and projector increasing the weight to around 70 grams. For comparison, standard Ray-Ban frames weigh around 45 grams, making the Meta Ray-Ban Display slightly heavier than regular sunglasses but far lighter than VR headsets or Snap's AR Spectacles.

Meta's strategy with the Meta Ray-Ban Display aims to leverage style and everyday utility to stay ahead of competitors in the smart glasses and XR market. The launch of these glasses comes as Big Tech and startups push into this sector, with Apple's Vision Pro headset, Snap's Spectacles, and Google's AR glasses efforts all vying for market share.

The AR and tech community have reacted with both optimism and caution to the Meta Ray-Ban Display. While Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicts that smart glasses will become the primary way people interact with AI, some analysts question whether a tiny, one-eye display for notifications and navigation is compelling enough to justify the price and extra bulk. Privacy advocates are also watching closely, given the potential for always-on cameras and face-recognition features.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display is set to be officially unveiled at Meta Connect 2025, alongside updates to its Quest VR headsets and AI assistant platform. The launch of these glasses marks a significant step for Meta in its broader AR/XR roadmap, as it inches closer to the advanced AR tech in its "Orion" prototype.