Meta Launches AI-Powered Smart Glasses with Ray-Ban and Oakley at Annual Connect Event

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new range of AI-powered smart glasses on Wednesday, as the company looks to position wearable technology as its next big platform. Speaking at the annual Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Ray-Ban Display and Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, developed in partnership with eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley.

The Ray-Ban Display features a full-color high-resolution screen in one lens, allowing users to make video calls and view messages, as well as a 12-megapixel camera. It will retail for $799. Meanwhile, the Oakley Meta Vanguard, priced at $499, is aimed at sports enthusiasts. Meta also launched a second-generation version of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, priced at $379.

A new neural wristband was also revealed, enabling users to control devices and send messages through subtle hand gestures. Zuckerberg called the advancements “a huge scientific breakthrough” in front of hundreds of attendees at Meta’s Silicon Valley campus. The launch highlights Meta’s broader push into artificial intelligence. The company is investing billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, including massive U.S.-based data centers, and aims to develop “superintelligence” capable of surpassing human reasoning.

Analysts suggest smart glasses could prove more successful than Meta’s earlier metaverse push. “Unlike VR headsets, glasses are an everyday, non-cumbersome form factor,” said Mike Proulx, VP and research director at Forrester. However, he added that Meta must still convince mainstream users of their value. Since 2023, Meta is understood to have sold about two million pairs of smart glasses. But at higher price points, experts remain skeptical. “The Ray-Bans have done well because they’re easy to use, inconspicuous, and relatively affordable,” said Leo Gebbie of CCS Insight.

The unveiling came on the same day protesters gathered outside Meta’s New York headquarters, urging stronger protections for children on social media. The company also faces scrutiny after former safety researchers alleged it downplayed potential harms to children linked to its virtual reality products—claims Meta has denied. The new Meta smart glasses range will be available later this month.