During its yearly Meta Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed a lineup of new gadgets created in collaboration with leading eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Among the highlights was a neural wristband, designed to work alongside the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, enabling users to perform actions such as sending messages through subtle hand movements.
The announcements come at a time when the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp continues to face criticism over the influence of its platforms, especially on younger audiences.
Addressing hundreds of attendees at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters, Mark Zuckerberg described the innovation as a “major scientific milestone.”
The Meta Ray-Ban Display includes a high-resolution, full-colour screen embedded in one lens, giving users the ability to make video calls and read messages. It also carries a 12-megapixel camera.
Zuckerberg envisions these smart accessories as a stepping stone for weaving Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, into everyday life.
Industry experts believe smart glasses have a stronger chance of mainstream adoption compared to the company’s costly Metaverse venture, which focuses on creating shared virtual spaces.
“Glasses offer a lightweight, familiar format unlike bulky VR headsets,” noted Forrester VP and Research Director Mike Proulx. However, he cautioned that Meta must still prove to a broad audience that AI glasses deliver enough value to justify their price.
While Meta declined to share official sales figures, reports suggest the company has sold roughly two million smart glasses since entering the market in 2023.
Its new Display model is set to launch this month at a price of $799 (£586), making it significantly more expensive than Meta’s existing smart glasses lineup.
Analysts remain divided on its potential. Leo Gebbie of CCS Insight expressed doubts about whether it will match the popularity of earlier models. “Ray-Bans have performed strongly because they’re simple, discreet, and relatively affordable,” he noted.
In addition to the Display, Mark Zuckerberg announced the $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard, designed for sports users, and the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, starting at $379.
These product launches arrive as Meta ramps up massive spending on AI infrastructure and talent. In July, Zuckerberg confirmed the company would pour hundreds of billions of dollars into building vast AI data centres in the US—one of which is projected to span nearly the size of Manhattan.
Alongside infrastructure, Meta continues to compete for top AI researchers, aiming to develop what it calls “superintelligence”—advanced AI capable of surpassing human intelligence.
