Meta Platforms introduced its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in digital display at its annual Connect event in Menlo Park, California. CEO Mark Zuckerberg pitched the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses as the ideal gateway to the AI-powered “superintelligence” era, saying they can enhance communication, memory, and senses while allowing users to stay present in the real world.
The glasses feature a small digital screen in the right lens for notifications and basic tasks. Priced at $799, they will launch on September 30 and come with a wristband that translates hand gestures into commands such as answering calls or replying to texts. Despite some glitches during the demo, the product received applause from the developer audience.
Meta also launched Oakley Vanguard sports glasses for $499, designed for athletes with Garmin and Strava integration, nine hours of battery life, and real-time workout feedback. In addition, Meta refreshed its earlier Ray-Ban line with improved cameras and nearly double the battery life, now priced at $379.
Industry analysts remain cautious. While the Display glasses may not achieve strong immediate sales, they see the launch as an incremental step toward Meta’s more ambitious “Orion” glasses, targeted for 2027. Analysts compared the debut to Apple’s rollout of the smartwatch, suggesting glasses could evolve into an everyday alternative to the smartphone if Meta proves their value.
The unveiling comes amid Meta’s aggressive AI investments and recruitment push, but also at a time of heightened scrutiny over child safety on its platforms and past controversies around VR’s effects on younger users.
IDC forecasts AR/VR headsets and smart glasses shipments to rise nearly 40% in 2025, with Meta expected to drive growth—particularly through the more affordable Ray-Ban line co-developed with EssilorLuxottica.