Meta Launches New Smart Glasses at Connect Event
MENLO PARK, California – Meta Platforms recently debuted its first consumer-ready smart glasses featuring a built-in display. This move aims to build on the success of its Ray-Ban line, which has been one of the initial hits in the burgeoning era of artificial intelligence.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg showcased the Meta Ray-Ban Display along with a new wristband controller at the Meta Connect event. Despite some issues during the demonstration, the audience responded positively.
Zuckerberg highlighted the glasses as a way to access AI capabilities while remaining present in daily life. He described them as a means to enhance communication, memory, and senses.
The Display glasses come equipped with a small digital display in the right lens for notifications and basic tasks. They are priced starting at $799 and set to hit stores on September 30. The included wristband translates hand gestures into commands for responding to messages and calls.
During the Connect conference held at Meta’s headquarters, this launch marked another attempt to keep pace in the competitive AI landscape. However, while Meta has been a frontrunner in smart glasses development, it lags behind competitors like OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google in deploying advanced AI models.
Zuckerberg is reportedly initiating a talent acquisition strategy in Silicon Valley, aiming to attract engineers from other companies, and has committed to investing heavily in state-of-the-art AI chips.
The new glasses arrive as Meta faces increased scrutiny regarding child safety on its platforms. Reports surfaced that Meta chatbots engaged children in inappropriate discussions, and whistleblowers revealed restrictions on researching virtual reality’s impact on minors.
New Oakley Glasses Target Athletes
Meta also presented a new Oakley-branded model called the Vanguard, aimed at athletes and retailing at $499. This device connects with fitness platforms like Garmin and Strava, offering real-time training metrics and post-workout summaries, boasting a nine-hour battery life, available from October 21.
The updated Ray-Ban line lacks a display but features nearly double the battery life of its predecessor, along with an enhanced camera, priced at $379—up from the previous model’s $299.
Analysts are not anticipating robust sales for the Display glasses but view them as a preliminary move toward the anticipated launch of Meta’s “Orion” glasses in 2027, a prototype unveiled last year and described by Zuckerberg as “the time machine to the future.”
Forrester analyst Mike Proulx compared the Display’s introduction to Apple’s rollout of a smartwatch as an alternative to smartphones. He mentioned that glasses provide an everyday, easily wearable option, though Meta will need to convince consumers that the advantages justify the pricing.
All new devices include features such as Meta’s AI assistant, cameras, hands-free controls, and the capability to livestream on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
While Zuckerberg’s demos showcased potential, some connections didn’t work as planned. “I don’t know what to tell you guys,” he admitted while the crowd cheered in encouragement.
According to Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC, the Display glasses offer good value considering the technology provided, but the software needs improvement to appeal to average consumers. “Until we get there, it’s not really a device that the average consumer might know about or care to purchase,” he noted.
IDC anticipates that global shipments of augmented reality and virtual reality headsets, as well as display-less smart glasses, will increase by 39.2% in 2025, reaching 14.3 million units, with Meta significantly contributing to this growth thanks to demand for its more affordable Ray-Bans.
