🔗 Share this article

The company has unveiled three fresh pairs of artificial intelligence-driven wearable tech, featuring the first Ray-Ban design with a built-in screen for AR experiences.

A Modern Approach on Wearable Tech

These Meta Ray-Ban Display mark the first mainstream smart glasses with a visual interface following the notable earlier attempt. Designed with a classic iconic styling, they steer clear of appearing too futuristic, while still incorporating a recording device, audio output, and microphone.

The compact, vibrant, and crisp visual screen is projected onto the inside of the right lens, appearing to hover just below the user’s eye line. This interface can show everything including messages and graphics to real-time communication. Importantly, the display is only apparent during use and cannot be observed from the exterior. An indicator light notifies people nearby when the recording function is in use.

“Glasses are the sole form factor that you can let AI observe what you see, hear what you hear,” stated the company’s chief executive during the Meta Connect.

Features and Performance

Like previous models, the latest glasses include a control surface on the arms and voice control for direct operation. They also come with a sweat-proof wristband that senses electrical impulses in the forearm, allowing control of the phone-like system via hand gestures. This accessory, which functions like a display-free smartwatch, can recognize taps, scrolls, rotations, and other common gestures. In the future, it will also enable text input using a digit.

These devices require a wireless link to an Google or Apple smartphone and facilitate communication and visual chats through SMS and various apps, such as Messenger and social platforms. They can show subtitles or interpretations of dialogues, offer turn-by-turn walking directions, audio control, and even serve as a viewfinder when taking photos.

Power and Release

The wearables operate for up to six hours of mixed use and recharge in a collapsible case for as much as 30 hours of total power. Meta’s virtual assistant can also deliver visual and written responses to questions, including cooking steps, details on paintings or monuments, and other practical data using the camera.

These Meta Ray-Ban Display will launch in the US from 30 September starting at $799 before expanding to the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Canada in early 2026.

Oakley Meta Vanguard

In addition to the display-equipped glasses, the company also introduced a line of screenless performance wearables designed for sport. The Oakley Meta Vanguard features a wrap-around build reminiscent of the company’s Radar athletic eyewear, but incorporates a central camera in the nose piece, audio inputs, and sound outputs for music, communications, assistant features, and content capture during workouts. Weighing 66g, they offer swappable lenses, splash protection, up to extended use per charge, and a secure fit with replaceable bridges in different dimensions.

The firm has partnered with Garmin to sync the wearables with the partner’s watches and bike computers. Users can request data such as current speed, pulse, or length while jogs or other exercises, while an light indicator within the glasses flashes when reaching a specific metric.

The camera can also on its own capture short films when the user reaches milestones such as every kilometre, pace thresholds, altitude changes, or heart rate limits, combining them with performance stats to create a highlight reel of key events from races, climbs, or training sessions. Content can be uploaded straight to Strava.

These Oakley Meta Vanguard will cost 499 pounds (€549/499 dollars), shipping from late October. At the same time, a revamped new version of the original smart eyewear model with double the battery life and a sharper recording lens is on sale for £379 (419 euros/$379).