Meta has launch its first smart glasses to feature a built-in display directly inside the lens. Unveiled at the annual Meta Connect conference on Thursday, the new Ray-Ban Meta Display marks a major milestone in the company’s push to make augmented reality part of everyday life.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, presenting the product on stage, said the glasses are designed to make technology “disappear” into something people already use daily.
“We don’t want AR to feel like a gadget strapped to your face,” Zuckerberg explained. “We want it to feel natural, stylish, and something you’d already want to wear when you leave the house.”
Unlike future visions of flying cars or full-body virtual reality suits, Meta’s latest innovation looks surprisingly familiar, introducing sunglasses. Yet these are no ordinary shades. The Ray-Ban Display comes equipped with a full-color, high-resolution screen embedded in the right lens, allowing wearers to view notifications, directions, translations, and even participate in video calls, all while staying aware of their surroundings.
The Ray-Ban Display pairs with a new wrist-worn controller called the Meta Neural Band. Using electromyography (EMG) sensors, the band reads tiny muscle signals from the hand and fingers to control apps and features without voice or touch.
“Even a subtle finger movement can act as a command,” said Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer. “It’s about making interaction seamless, private, and intuitive.”
The Neural Band is water-resistant and offers about 18 hours of battery life, while the glasses themselves last six hours per charge.
The glasses also feature a 12-megapixel camera, improved audio system, and multiple microphones for clearer calls and recordings. Users can record 3K video, stream to Instagram or Facebook Live, and summon Meta AI directly through voice commands or gestures.
Meta says this will allow users to translate signs in real time, get walking directions overlaid in their vision, or see incoming messages without pulling out a phone.
In addition to the Ray-Ban Display, Meta also announced upgrades to its smart eyewear lineup; Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 which is an improved version of earlier models, featuring better video, audio, and battery life, priced at around Sh 56,850 and Oakley Meta Vanguard, a rugged, sport-oriented version aimed at athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.
While the technology drew excitement, it also posses few bottlenecks with some features stumbled during the live demonstration. Reporters noted moments when the display lagged or voice commands misfired.
Bosworth acknowledged the hiccups, saying: “This is early technology. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but we know the next steps are refining real-world performance.”
For users in Kenya and other fast-growing mobile markets, the glasses could be particularly appealing for hands-free navigation, real-time translation, and content creation.
Zuckerberg hinted at global ambitions, saying: “We see this as the next step in connecting the world. Whether you’re in Nairobi, New York, or Naples, these glasses bring the digital layer of life right into your vision.”
As Meta repositions itself from a social media giant to a hardware and AI powerhouse, the Ray-Ban Display may become a symbol of its vision for the future, a world where technology blends seamlessly into what people already wear.
