The futuristic $799 glasses will have a limited US launch and are controlled by the new Meta Neural Band
In a classic “one more thing” moment at its Connect event last week, Meta unveiled the Ray-Ban Display, a groundbreaking new category of smart glasses that feature a full-color, high-resolution in-lens display and a radical new wrist-based controller.
The glasses, which come bundled with the new Meta Neural Band, will be available in a limited launch at select US retailers on September 30 for $799.
This new device represents the next evolution of Meta’s AI eyewear, combining a camera, speakers, microphones, and a heads-up display.
The display is built for quick, glanceable interactions. You can easily view messages, get turn-by-turn walking navigation, preview photos, and receive visual, step-by-step answers from Meta AI.
Meta positions it off to the side to avoid obstructing the user’s view—this approach aims to provide helpful information while ensuring a smoother experience that doesn’t feel like a “phone-on-your-face” distraction. The glasses also feature Transitions lenses, making them suitable for all-day wear, both indoors and out.
The bigger innovation, potentially, is the new Meta Neural Band.
This EMG (electromyography) wristband reads the electrical signals generated by your wrist muscles, allowing you to control the glasses’ interface with subtle, almost imperceptible finger movements—like tapping your index finger to your thumb to make a selection. This enables silent, intuitive control without ever having to touch the glasses or pull out a phone.
The Wareable take
As we’ve become accustomed to at Meta Connect, this is another bold look at the future of personal computing from the company. The company has explicitly positioned these ‘Display AI glasses’ as the crucial middle step between its current camera glasses (like the standard Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN) and its future, true AR glasses (like the Orion prototypes).
However, a dose of reality came during the live keynote, when an on-stage demo of the AI’s capabilities failed, which Mark Zuckerberg attributed to the venue’s Wi-Fi. It’s a reminder that while the vision is incredible, the execution of live, conversational AI is still fraught with challenges.
Despite that demo hiccup (which we actually rate the bravery of; brands have become too scared of showing off their tech in real-time demos), the combination of a discreet, non-intrusive display and the intuitive control of the Neural Band could prove to be as transformative to the smart glasses industry as the original Ray-Ban Meta glasses proved.
The high price and very limited US-only launch ensure the Display is a device for early adopters for now, but this is arguably the most exciting glimpse into the future of wearables we’ve seen this year.
