Meta has launched a fresh chapter in consumer technology this September, introducing the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses with apps and an integrated AI assistant. The announcement came from Menlo Park at the company’s highly anticipated Connect 2025 event, where CEO Mark Zuckerberg presented this next-generation wearable as a device designed to blend seamlessly into everyday life, offering a new standard for hands-free, intelligent computing.
Meta’s latest move is deliberate, targeting a world where digital interaction no longer revolves around looking down at a phone. The $799 glasses are set to be available in stores from September 30, promising users a taste of what Meta describes as “personal superintelligence” delivered through familiar eyewear.
A New Milestone in Wearable AI
At the heart of Meta’s announcement is the decision to build on its earlier Ray-Ban Meta lineup, which has already captured significant attention in the smart glasses market. These third-generation glasses are no mere update. They incorporate a compact, high-resolution digital display into the right lens, letting wearers see notifications, maps, messages, and even live translations as if projected into their field of vision.
Zuckerberg emphasized during the launch that this form factor allows users to stay engaged with the world around them, while quietly enhancing their senses, memory, and communication with the help of artificial intelligence. The smart glasses come equipped with cameras, speakers, microphones, and a cloud-based system.
They are controlled primarily through the innovative Meta Neural Band wristband, a device that reads subtle hand and finger movements using electromyography. This light, comfortable band acts as a silent interpreter, turning barely perceptible muscle signals from the user’s hand into commands for the glasses. According to Meta, the Neural Band offers up to 18 hours of battery life and is designed to be durable and water-resistant.
Hands-Free, App-Integrated Freedom
Functionality is at the core of the Meta Ray-Ban Display experience. The glasses can connect directly to Meta apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Wearers can take photos or record 3K videos, initiate communications, or even receive real-time subtitles for conversations in foreign languages.
Navigation instructions and location-based information appear right in the user’s line of sight. This confluence of hardware and cloud-based intelligence means the smart glasses operate independently of the smartphone, but users can still sync their experience across devices as needed. Meta has priced these glasses at $799, positioning them in the premium wearable segment.
But the biggest step forward is the flexibility Meta gives developers. The company has opened its software platform to third-party creators, inviting them to develop their own app experiences for the Ray-Ban Display and upcoming Oakley Vanguard sport models. Meta has already signaled partnerships with leading brands, including Disney for park information overlays and Twitch for live streaming support. This open ecosystem could provide limitless new use cases, from guided workouts on the Oakley glasses to information and scheduling for professionals on the go.
A Market Hungry for Innovation
Meta’s confidence in smart glasses is well grounded in numbers. Shipments of smart glasses globally jumped by 110 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025, with Meta commanding a 73 percent share of the market. Shipments of the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses alone soared by more than 200 percent over the previous year, reflecting growing consumer curiosity and increased manufacturing output.
With competitors like Xiaomi and TCL-RayNeo entering the space, AI-powered models now account for 78 percent of all smart glasses shipped, compared to 46 percent a year ago. The broader smart glasses market is forecast to maintain a compound annual growth rate above 60 percent between 2024 and 2029.
Analysts and industry observers see Meta’s latest release as a move to consolidate its lead just as the sector prepares for further expansion. The practical resilience of this market has been underlined by its steady growth, even as other consumer electronics segments have faltered in the face of ongoing global tariff challenges for electronic devices.
Meta’s Vision for Everyday Intelligence
Meta’s strategy for AI-infused wearables is as much about cultural change as technical achievement. Zuckerberg’s long-term bet is that smart glasses will one day eclipse the smartphone as the go-to device for digital interaction. At the Connect 2025 event, he described glasses as “the perfect form factor for personal superintelligence,” stressing the importance of remaining present in the real world while being empowered by intelligent, always-available computing.
This focus on “realistic holograms” and “presence” aligns with Meta’s broader commitment to the metaverse, even as the company’s Reality Labs unit continues to post significant financial losses. The investment is significant, with Reality Labs reporting a $4.5 billion loss in the second quarter of this year alone, balanced against revenue of just $370 million.
The introduction of gesture-based control with the Neural Band, silent audio input and output, visual displays, and AI-powered translation signals Meta’s intention to create an all-day wearable that is stylish enough for everyday use and powerful enough for enterprise needs. Fitness tracking, real-time subtitles, voice dictation, and cloud-based memory recall are among the many features that make the Ray-Ban Display more versatile than any smart glasses before it.
Competition and New Entrants
The rise of the Ray-Ban Meta Display does not come without competition. Companies like Xiaomi are fast emerging as challengers, with new AI glasses models placing among the top sellers globally despite being launched only recently.
TCL-RayNeo and other manufacturers have also begun to show their hand, contributing to the market’s expansion and diversifying consumer choice. Still, Meta’s aggressive partnership with EssilorLuxottica and strong branding through Ray-Ban have allowed it to dominate the high-growth AI segment, placing pressure on rivals to innovate quickly or risk losing relevance.
Public Reaction and Early Reviews
Reactions from industry analysts and the public during and after the Connect 2025 event have reflected both excitement and skepticism. The promise of “superintelligence” delivered through affordable, fashionable eyewear is compelling to many, while others note that demonstration hiccups and high prices may temper initial uptake.
Live demos at the event included a failed attempt to place a call through the glasses, a reminder that even the most advanced technology can struggle in high-pressure, real-world scenarios. Yet applause from the audience suggested strong interest and belief in the vision.
For many consumers, the key appeal lies in the chance to reclaim the time spent staring at a phone and instead enjoy hands-free access to messages, navigation, and information while on the move — all through a familiar, fashionable frame.
Looking Ahead: The Smart Glasses Era
The stage is now set for a new phase in wearable computing, as Meta’s AI-powered glasses move from niche gadget to practical tool for everyday life. By opening the platform to outside developers and launching alongside Oakley-branded sports glasses, Meta is betting that third-party innovation will provide a broader range of use cases than any single company could anticipate.
The pace of change is fast, with competitors hurrying to catch up and new technology reshaping what consumers expect from their wearable devices. Whether Meta’s vision will pay off with mass consumer adoption is an open question. Yet with a 73% share of the global smart glasses market, momentum is clearly in Meta’s favor as 2025 draws to a close.
