Meta Unveils Ray-Ban Display: First Consumer Smart Glasses with Integrated Display

At its annual Connect conference on September 17, 2025, Meta unveiled the Meta Ray-Ban Display, its first consumer-ready smart glasses featuring a built-in display. Priced at $799 and available starting September 30, these glasses integrate a small digital display into the right lens, allowing users to view notifications, messages, and other information directly within their field of vision. Control is facilitated through the Meta Neural Band, a wristband that interprets subtle hand and finger movements for gesture-based commands. This launch signifies Meta's commitment to advancing AI-integrated wearable technology.

Product Features and Specifications

The Meta Ray-Ban Display incorporates a 600×600 pixel resolution screen into the right lens, offering a 20-degree field of view with 42 pixels per degree. The display's brightness ranges from 30 to 5,000 nits, ensuring visibility in various lighting conditions. The glasses weigh 69 grams for the standard size and 70 grams for the large size, with Transitions lenses included as standard.

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 processor, the glasses feature a 12-megapixel camera with 3× digital zoom, a six-microphone array system, open-ear speakers with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, 32 GB of internal storage, and 2 GB of LPDDR4x RAM. They also offer Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and have an IPX4 water resistance rating.

Meta Neural Band

Each pair of Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses comes bundled with the Meta Neural Band, an electromyography (EMG) wristband that interprets muscle signals from the wrist to control the glasses through subtle hand gestures. The band weighs 42 grams, provides up to 18 hours of battery life, and has an IPX7 water resistance rating. It uses on-device machine learning to translate EMG signals into digital commands, allowing users to navigate interfaces, scroll content, and interact with applications without touching the glasses. The technology was developed using deep learning algorithms based on data from nearly 200,000 consenting research participants.

Functionality

The integrated display enables several new features beyond those available in previous Ray-Ban Meta glasses:

• Visual responses from Meta AI, showing answers and step-by-step instructions.
• Private messaging display for WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
• Live video calling with screen sharing capabilities.
• Turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation with visual maps (launching in beta for select cities).
• Real-time translation and live captions for conversations.
• Camera viewfinder with zoom functionality.
• Music playback controls with album art display.

Market Context and Competitor Landscape

The introduction of the Meta Ray-Ban Display positions Meta ahead of competitors in the smart glasses market. While companies like Samsung are reportedly developing similar devices, their current offerings lack integrated display features, leaving them competing in a category that Meta is advancing beyond.

Social and Societal Implications

The launch of the Meta Ray-Ban Display signifies a shift towards more immersive and integrated wearable technology, potentially altering how individuals interact with digital information in their daily lives. By providing real-time data and communication capabilities within a user's field of vision, these glasses could enhance productivity and connectivity. However, they also raise considerations regarding privacy, data security, and the potential for increased digital distraction.

Background on Meta and EssilorLuxottica Partnership

Meta's collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, has been fruitful. Since the launch of their first-generation smart glasses in October 2023, over two million units have been sold, indicating strong consumer interest and market viability.

Direct Quotes from Officials

During the launch, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the potential of AI-integrated glasses, stating that they are the "ideal form factor for personal superintelligence" and can help improve communication, memory, and senses.

Economic Impact

The smart glasses market has experienced significant growth, with global shipments surging 210% year-over-year in 2024. Meta captured over 60% of this market share, indicating a strong position in the industry.

Historical Context

This launch builds upon Meta's previous smart glasses offerings, which lacked integrated displays. The addition of a built-in display represents a significant evolution in the product line, moving closer to the vision of augmented reality eyewear.

In summary, the unveiling of the Meta Ray-Ban Display marks a pivotal moment in the advancement of consumer wearable technology, blending fashion with cutting-edge digital integration.