Artificial Intelligence

Meta Launches AI-Powered Smart Glasses with Display

Published SEP 18 2025

Story

Above: Mark Zuckerberg during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 17, 2025. Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Facts

Meta unveiled three new smart glasses models at its annual Meta Connect 2025 conference on Wednesday, including the Ray-Ban Display with a built-in screen, upgraded Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Oakley Vanguard sports glasses.
Meta
Cybernews
Wired
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses feature a small screen on the right lens that displays text messages, video calls and directions, and are controlled by a neural wristband that detects hand gestures through electromyography.
TechCrunch
The Times (UK)
Verge
During the live demonstration, multiple technical failures occurred, including failed video calls with Meta's CTO and an AI assistant that couldn't provide a Korean steak sauce recipe, reportedly due to WiFi issues.
The Telegraph
Cybernews
The New York Times
The Ray-Ban Display glasses are priced at $799 and will be available for purchase on Sept. 30 in the U.S. International availability is scheduled for early 2026, with limited initial quantities.
Meta
TechCrunch
guardian
The glasses require a connection to a smartphone and feature a battery life of six hours for mixed use. The neural wristband provides 18 hours of battery life and must be fitted to the user's dominant hand.
TechCrunch
The Times (UK)
The New York Times
Meta has sold approximately two million smart glasses since their launch in 2023, and its Reality Labs division has invested over $70 billion in the development of virtual and augmented reality technology.
BBC News
The Times (UK)
FOX News

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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

This revolutionary technology is the future of human-computer interaction. Meta has already proven market demand with millions of smart glasses sold, and the new Display model offers genuine utility, such as hands-free navigation and real-time translation, that smartphones can't match. The neural wristband control system is a breakthrough that eliminates the need to look down at screens constantly.

Techno-skeptic narrative

At $799, these glasses are an overpriced tech experiment that clearly isn't ready for mainstream consumers, as evidenced by the embarrassing demo failures. The requirement for both a smartphone connection and a wristband defeats the purpose of seamless integration, while the limited app functionality and short battery life make this more of a novelty than a practical device that will likely struggle to gain mass appeal.

The Times (UK)

Cybernews