Meta Platforms Inc. is stepping further into wearable technology, unveiling its first smart glasses with a built-in display on Wednesday. The $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display features a screen in the right lens capable of showing text messages, video calls, turn-by-turn directions, AI-powered search results, photos, music controls, and a camera viewfinder, according to Bloomberg.
In an interview ahead of the launch, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth called the device “the first serious product” in the AI glasses space. The display is intended to let users offload tasks traditionally handled by smartphones, offering a more convenient way to access everyday features. “This feels like the kind of thing where you can start to keep your phone in your pocket more and more throughout the day,” Bosworth said.
The glasses introduce a new control system, moving beyond the swipe-enabled frames of previous models. A neural wristband detects hand gestures, allowing users to pinch to select items, swipe with their thumb, invoke Meta’s AI assistant, or adjust music volume with a twist of the hand. The glasses also include live captioning for spoken words—including translations—and video calling that shares the wearer’s point of view.
Meta plans to sell the glasses starting September 30 at Ray-Ban, Lenscrafters, Best Buy, and select Verizon stores, offering two sizes and two colors: black and a brown shade called sand. At launch, apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Spotify-powered music will be supported, with Instagram Reels coming later this year.
The display offers a 20-degree field of view with a 600 x 600-pixel resolution and brightness ranging from 30 to 5,000 nits, providing reasonable outdoor visibility. The 12-megapixel camera records 1080p video for six hours per charge, with the included case offering an additional 30 hours.
Beyond the display model, Meta also introduced updated non-display Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakley Vanguard, a sports-focused design with enhanced water resistance, better speakers, and new video modes.
Meta has invested heavily in hardware, including a $3.5 billion stake in EssilorLuxottica, betting that AI glasses will become a primary way for users to experience its services. Bosworth predicts sales of over 100,000 units by the end of next year, with the company expecting to sell every unit produced.
Looking ahead, Meta is exploring future glasses with cellular connectivity, binocular displays, and even a dedicated app store, while Reality Labs—the division overseeing the project—is also considering smartwatches and AR contact lenses.
While Meta is currently the leading consumer brand in AI glasses, competition from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Chinese startups like Xreal is intensifying. Bosworth acknowledged past attempts, including Google Glass, emphasizing that timing is critical for adoption.
“This is a low-volume product designed for people who are actually going to put them on and use them,” Bosworth said, noting the company’s focus on genuine utility rather than novelty.
