Meta Platforms Inc. has a vision for consumers shopping for artificial intelligence (AI) glasses. Last Wednesday its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, put the focus on the company’s first line of Ray-Ban Display glasses for the mass market with built-in display and AI integration.
Zuckerberg announced three new smart eyewear products at the company’s Connect 2025 conference, marking a significant expansion of the tech giant’s wearable device portfolio.
The flagship announcement featured Meta’s first augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, representing the company’s latest push into AR technology. Zuckerberg also introduced second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and new Oakley-branded sunglasses specifically for athletes.
Beyond wearables, Meta launched Horizon TV, a new entertainment platform for its Quest virtual reality (VR) headsets. The service will provide users direct access to major streaming platforms including Disney+ and Prime Video within the VR environment.
The announcements signal Meta’s continued investment in mixed-reality technologies as the company seeks to establish itself as a leader in the emerging metaverse ecosystem. The diverse product lineup targets different consumer segments, from everyday users to athletes, while the entertainment hub aims to enhance the Quest platform’s appeal for media consumption.
The smart glasses (pardon the pun) blur the line between traditional eyewear and augmented reality, featuring what the company calls breakthrough neural interface technology.
The device maintains the familiar aesthetic of classic Ray-Ban sunglasses while incorporating a subtle display positioned on the right lens’s edge. According to Meta, the display remains virtually invisible during normal use, only when users need to view messages, photos, translations, or responses from the company’s AI assistant.
The smart glasses pack considerable technical specifications into their streamlined frame. The display delivers 600×600-pixel resolution across a 20-degree field of view, with Meta claiming the 42 pixels per degree density provides sufficient clarity for everyday consumer use. The screen’s adaptive brightness ranges from 30 nits in low-light conditions up to 5,000 nits for outdoor visibility, while supporting refresh rates up to 90Hz for smooth visual performance.
Perhaps the most significant innovation is the accompanying Meta Neural Band, a wrist-worn controller that represents the company’s first consumer neural interface device. The band interprets subtle muscle movements in the wearer’s wrist and forearm, translating these biological signals into digital commands. Meta demonstrates that simple gestures such as a thumb swipe can control the glasses’ functions without requiring visible hand movements or voice commands.
The neural control system could address one of augmented reality’s persistent challenges: how users interact with digital content while maintaining natural social interactions. Traditional AR devices often require conspicuous gestures or voice activation that can feel awkward in public settings.
Meta has not yet announced pricing or availability for the smart glasses and neural band combination.
The second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses deliver substantially improved endurance, with Meta claiming up to eight hours of battery life during typical daily use, marking a notable increase from the original model. The accompanying charging case extends total usage to 56 hours, providing 24 additional hours of power compared to the first generation’s 32-hour capacity.
Consumers can choose from the same three frame styles that defined the original release: the classic Wayfarer, the contemporary Skyler, and the streamlined Headliner. Each maintains Ray-Ban’s signature aesthetic while housing Meta’s integrated technology.
Meta has also expanded beyond Ray-Ban with a new Oakley partnership targeting sports enthusiasts. The Oakley Meta Vanguard features the brand’s characteristic wraparound design and includes interchangeable reflective lenses in multiple colors. The athletic focus influenced the technical design: Meta repositioned the 12-megapixel camera to the frame’s center to prevent interference from helmets and athletic headwear during recording.
The most ambitious entry in Meta’s eyewear portfolio is the Ray-Ban Display, the company’s inaugural augmented reality glasses. These devices transform their lenses into transparent heads-up displays capable of overlaying digital information directly onto the wearer’s field of view. Users can access text messages, AI-generated responses, pedestrian navigation directions, and participate in video calls without looking away from their surroundings.
The Display glasses represent Meta’s most direct challenge to competitors in the emerging AR market, positioning the company to compete with tech giants like Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc. who are developing similar hands-free computing experiences.
