Meta Platforms has announced three new pairs of AI smart glasses and one of the Ray-Bans comes with a built-in screen for augmented reality. The Meta Ray-Ban Display is the first smart glasses with a display from a mainstream brand since the failed Google Glass.
Face computing is something Meta has been talking about for a couple of years and the company has fast become the leader in the smart glasses race by selling millions of units since launching its partnership with Ray-Ban in 2023.
A visitor reviews the new Meta smart glasses during the Meta annual Connect conference
As the name suggests, the Meta glasses display text, images, and video directly on the lens. It allows users to see WhatsApp messages, Instagram Reels, and video calls within the glasses.
The colour display is projected onto the inside of the right lens. It appears to float just below the wearer’s eyeline. Only the user can see the display and it is not visible from the outside. An LED alerts others when the camera is active.
The resolution is 42 ppd (pixels per degree). On closing the left eye and looking through the eye in front of the screen, the display appears crisp.
Showcased by Mark Zuckerberg at the Meta Connect event, the Meta CEO said: “Glasses are the only form factor where you can let AI see what you see, hear what you hear.”
The new glasses have a touch panel on the arms and voice control for direct interactions. What is new is a water-resistant bracelet that can detect the electrical impulses in the forearm for controlling the phone-like interface in the lens using hand gestures. You don’t have to hold your hand out in front of you for the gestures to be recognised.
When talking is not possible, why not use handwriting? Meta showcased a feature that tracks handwriting input as an alternative to voice commands. The user can “draw” letters with an outstretched finger on a flat surface (and the Neural Band turns it into text). It is, at the moment, a demo and will not be available to users at launch, but it will arrive soon.
To make the glasses work, a Bluetooth connection to an Android or iPhone is needed. It supports messaging and video calling through texts and Meta’s various apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram. The display can also show live captions or translations of conversations, offer turn-by-turn walking directions, music playback controls, and it can also be used as a viewfinder when taking photos.
The glasses last up to six hours, depending on usage, and charge in a collapsible case for up to 30 hours of battery life. It will be available in the US from September 30, starting at $799, before being available in the UK, France, Italy, and Canada in early 2026.
Meta's new line of smart glasses
Besides display glasses, the company has also showcased a set of display-free Oakley smart glasses. The Oakley Meta Vanguard has a wrap-around design and a central camera in the nose piece. There are microphones and speakers for music, calls, AI, and content capture during exercise. The glasses come with swappable lenses, are water-resistant, and last up to nine hours per charge.
And there is Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. There are a few new features that you’d find in Meta’s Oakley models. It has a 2x better camera for capturing up to 3K footage, and the addition of the new slow-mo and hyperlapse video modes. Meta has also substantially increased the glasses’ four-hour battery life, promising eight hours of mixed use from a single charge.
The social media giant is leading the smart glasses race but it trails rivals such as OpenAI and Google in rolling out advanced AI models. But Zuckerberg has undertaken a war to poach engineers from rivals and promised to spend tens of billions of dollars on cutting-edge AI chips.