Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses: The $799 Smart Glasses with Neural Wristband Control

Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses: The $799 Smart Glasses with Neural Wristband Control Mark Zuckerberg just unveiled the future of wearable computing, and it looks surprisingly normal. On September 17, 2025, Meta introduced the Ray-Ban Display glasses—the company's first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display. At $799, these aren't just an incremental upgrade; they represent a fundamental leap toward making AI-powered augmented reality an everyday reality. What makes these glasses truly revolutionary isn't just the display—it's the accompanying Meta Neural Band, an EMG wristband that lets you control your glasses using subtle hand gestures. Imagine adjusting volume by twisting your fingers like turning an invisible dial, or scrolling through messages with a simple thumb swipe. It's technology that feels like magic, and it's available now. ## Three New Models: Something for Everyone Meta didn't just launch one pair of glasses—they unveiled an entire ecosystem of smart eyewear designed for different lifestyles and budgets. ### Meta Ray-Ban Display: The Flagship ($799) The star of the show, the Ray-Ban Display glasses come with Meta's classic Wayfarer styling but pack cutting-edge technology inside. These $799 glasses contain a small digital display that can be controlled via hand gestures through a wristband powered by neural technology. The full-color, high-resolution display is placed off to the side, so it doesn't obstruct your view—it's there when you want it and gone when you don't. The display appears to hover just below your right cheek, creating a translucent overlay that lets you check messages, see directions, and interact with Meta AI without pulling out your phone. Every pair comes with the Meta Neural Band, the result of years of surface electromyography (EMG) research with nearly 200,000 research participants. The wristband translates subtle muscle movements into commands, making interaction feel intuitive and almost invisible. ### Oakley Meta Vanguard: For Athletes ($499) The Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses are intended for athletes who participate in high-intensity sports like snowboarding and mountain biking, costing $499 when they launched on October 21. The Vanguard glasses feature a sporty wraparound design that extends colorful lenses around your temples for better coverage during intense activities. Unlike earlier Oakley models, these include a button on the underside of the frames, making it easier for athletes wearing helmets to capture photos and videos. The sports-centric smart glasses have up to nine hours of battery life, can capture 3K video, and contain speakers louder than their predecessors. They also connect with Garmin-branded fitness watches to track stats like heart rate using the Meta AI assistant. ### Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2): Affordable Excellence ($379) The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) costs $379, up from $299 for the 2023 version, but delivers double the battery life—lasting 8 hours on a single charge—and a more powerful camera that captures 3K Ultra HD video. The stylish charging case provides an additional 48 hours of charge on the go, addressing the most significant weakness of the original model. Available now in classic Wayfarer and Headliner styles, these represent an iterative but important upgrade to what has become the world's best-selling smart glasses. ## What Makes the Display Glasses Special The Ray-Ban Display glasses bridge the gap between Meta's audio-only smart glasses and the experimental Orion AR glasses revealed at last year's Connect event. While Orion can overlay 3D visuals over your real-world view, it's expensive to make and not yet available to consumers. The Display glasses offer a more practical middle ground. ### The Display Experience The display is like a miniaturized smartphone screen but translucent so as not to obscure real-world objects. While the icons aren't always crystal clear when contrasted with your field of view, they provide enough utility for essential tasks without overwhelming your vision. These visuals aren't meant to wrap around your head in crystal-clear fidelity, but are there for you to perform simple actions, like activating the camera and glancing at songs on Spotify—it's more utility than entertainment. ### Key Features and Capabilities **Meta AI With Visuals** Meta AI on glasses can do so much more when paired with visuals—now it can show you answers and step-by-step how-tos, rather than just reading something back to you. Move through steps easily with a quick swipe using the Neural Band. **Messaging & Video Calling** You can privately view text and multimedia messages from WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and your phone, hands-free with just a pinch. Take live video calls from WhatsApp and Messenger and show friends and family what you're seeing through the glasses. **Pedestrian Navigation** Get phone-free, walking directions with turn-by-turn navigation and a visual map shown on your display. The feature launches in beta for select cities with more locations coming over time. **Live Captions & Translation** The glasses can display captions for speech directed at you, or translate select languages in real-time—all while you stay present and engaged in conversation. Live Translation now includes German and Portuguese. **Camera Viewfinder & Zoom** The real-time camera viewfinder and zoom functionality helps you capture the perfect shot on the first try, with the display making composition easy. **Music Playback** See what you're listening to in real time with music cards displayed on your glasses. ## The Neural Band: A New Way to Interact The Meta Neural Band represents perhaps the biggest innovation in the Display glasses package. This lightweight wrist accessory uses electromyography sensors to detect subtle muscle movements in your hand and wrist, translating them into commands. ### How EMG Technology Works Four years ago, Meta shared a look into its work on wrist-based wearables leveraging EMG technology, and the Neural Band is the product of years of research. The sensors detect the electrical signals your muscles generate when you move your fingers, even before visible movement occurs. This means you can control your glasses with gestures so subtle that people nearby won't even notice. It replaces touchscreens, buttons, and dials with a sensor on your wrist, allowing you to silently scroll, click, and eventually even write out messages using subtle finger movements. ### Hands-On Experience By rotating your thumb and index finger as if turning an invisible stereo knob, you can adjust volume—an expectedly delightful experience. The Neural Band makes interacting with glasses feel like magic, creating an interaction model that's more intuitive than voice commands or physical buttons. Beyond pinching and rotating, the Neural Band enables: - Scrolling through menus with thumb swipes - Selecting items with pinch gestures - Navigating maps and directions - Controlling media playback - Future capabilities like writing messages through finger movements ## The In-Store Experience: Try Before You Buy Unlike Meta's earlier Ray-Ban smart glasses, which can be bought online, the Display & Neural Band can only be ordered after an in-person trial—a deliberate move meant to highlight the product's more advanced, visual-first technology. ### Exclusive Best Buy Partnership Best Buy serves as the exclusive big-box retailer offering in-store demos before purchase, with customers able to schedule hands-on demos at select locations nationwide. Trained associates guide customers through the glasses' functionality and fit, and only after the demo can the product be purchased. The rollout marks a strategic shift for Meta, emphasizing tactile, in-person experiences after years of promoting mixed-reality products primarily online. By partnering with Best Buy as its exclusive large-format retail outlet, Meta is banking on in-store discovery to help overcome consumer hesitation toward high-tech eyewear. ## Real-World Use Cases The Display glasses shine in everyday scenarios where pulling out your phone would be disruptive or inconvenient. ### Navigation Without Distraction One of the most useful features shows you where you are on a map in real-time. It's a step up from earlier versions of Meta smart glasses, which could give you a street address but couldn't tell you how to get there. Imagine walking through an unfamiliar city, getting turn-by-turn directions without ever looking down at your phone. The pedestrian navigation feature keeps you present and aware of your surroundings while ensuring you never get lost. ### Staying Connected Without Being Rude Have you ever wished you could quickly and quietly respond to a text while in a movie theater without pulling out your phone? The Display glasses make those things possible. Check incoming messages with a glance, respond using voice dictation and the Neural Band for controls, and never miss important communications while staying engaged with the world around you. ### Live Translation for Global Communication The live captioning and translation features break down language barriers in real-time. You can read the words your conversation partner is saying in real-time on the screen, making international travel and multicultural interactions smoother. ### Plant and Object Identification As a plant nerd, asking Meta AI to identify foliage and then follow-up questions like whether the plant would survive in a pot in a New York City apartment is very useful. The combination of camera vision and AI knowledge creates a powerful tool for learning about your environment. ### Accessibility Applications The live captioning feature proves particularly valuable in noisy environments. The feature successfully picked up a tour guide's voice while dance music blared in the background, displaying words like closed-captions on a TV show. For people with hearing difficulties, this feature could be transformative, enabling them to follow conversations in challenging acoustic environments. ## The Broader Smart Glasses Ecosystem The Display glasses don't exist in isolation—they're part of Meta's comprehensive smart glasses strategy that has seen explosive growth. ### Market Success According to Meta, sales of Ray-Ban smart glasses have tripled in the past year, with four times as many monthly active users. This success positions Meta as the clear leader in consumer smart glasses, with competitors struggling to match their combination of style, functionality, and ecosystem integration. ### Software Updates Across All Models Meta continues improving the entire Ray-Ban Meta lineup with regular software updates: In June 2025, Live AI was introduced, allowing natural conversation with Meta AI while it sees what you see throughout a live session. This feature helps with everyday activities from meal planning to exploring new cities. Instagram direct messaging, photos, and audio calls became available on glasses, expanding communication options beyond WhatsApp and Messenger. iHeartRadio integration provides hands-free access to hundreds of live and local radio stations, thousands of podcasts, curated playlists, and live news and sports. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Shazam are now available in English across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and multiple European countries. Audible brings hands-free audiobook listening to Ray-Ban Meta glasses, perfect for walks or commutes. ### European Expansion People in the EU can now use Meta AI to ask questions on-the-go and about what they're seeing, expanding across Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Germany, France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Spain. ## Privacy and Safety Considerations As with any camera-equipped wearable, privacy concerns loom large over smart glasses adoption. ### Built-In Safeguards Like previous versions, the Display glasses include an LED light indicating when the device is recording. Meta emphasizes "building responsibly" is a focus, though there's just education needed when you have a new category for the public to understand the built-in safety features. ### The "Glasshole" Problem In 2013, some Google Glass wearers gained the nickname "glasshole" because other people took issue with the prospect of being filmed without their consent. Meta faces similar perception challenges, though the classic Ray-Ban styling helps glasses blend in more naturally than Google's futuristic designs. ### Data Privacy Concerns Users wonder how comfortable they'll be wearing glasses that can see and hear their surroundings while in their home or workplace or spending time with kids—especially given Meta's tainted history as a steward of personal information. Meta must earn consumer trust through transparent data practices and robust security measures if smart glasses are to achieve mainstream adoption. ### SynthID Watermarking All AI-generated content and images captured with Meta smart glasses include digital watermarking to indicate they were created or captured using AI-powered devices, adding a layer of transparency to address manipulation concerns. ## Technical Specifications and Limitations ### What Works Well - **Battery Life**: Display glasses provide adequate all-day battery life for typical use - **Display Quality**: High-resolution, though icons can appear murky against certain backgrounds - **Neural Band Responsiveness**: Gesture recognition works reliably in testing - **Audio Quality**: Open-ear speakers provide clear sound without blocking ambient noise - **Camera**: 3K Ultra HD video capture across all new models ### Current Limitations The glasses misspelled a word when dictating a text response, and without a keypad, there's basically just starting over to fix it. Text input remains a challenge compared to traditional keyboards. The display, while useful, doesn't provide the immersive AR experience of full-featured devices like Orion. It's designed for utility—quick glances at information—rather than entertainment or complex visual tasks. Weight and thickness are slightly greater than regular glasses or earlier Ray-Ban Meta models, though it's easy enough to forget you're wearing them when not engaging with the tech. ## Pricing and Availability **Meta Ray-Ban Display with Neural Band**: $799 - Available now through Best Buy (in-store demo required) - Select locations nationwide - Includes Neural Band wristband - Multiple frame styles and colors **Oakley Meta Vanguard**: $499 - Launched October 21, 2025 - Sports-focused design - Available through Meta and select retailers **Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)**: $379 - Available now - Online and retail purchase - Wayfarer and Headliner styles - Multiple lens and frame options ## Compared to Competition Meta faces emerging competition in the smart glasses space: **Samsung**: Rumored to announce smart glasses at January 2025 Unpacked event, though details remain scarce **Apple**: Reports suggest Apple may pivot from Vision Pro to smart glasses, though no concrete products have been announced **Google**: After Google Glass's consumer failure, Google has focused on enterprise AR rather than consumer smart glasses **Amazon**: Echo Frames provide basic audio features but lack displays or advanced AI capabilities Meta's combination of fashion-forward design (through EssilorLuxottica partnership), robust AI features, and competitive pricing gives them a significant first-mover advantage in consumer smart glasses. ## The Road to Orion The Display glasses represent an intermediate step toward Meta's ultimate vision: the Orion AR glasses unveiled as a prototype in 2024. Orion can overlay complex 3D visuals onto the physical world with help from a wireless computing puck, but the glasses are expensive to make and not yet available to consumers. The Display glasses provide a stepping stone—introducing consumers to heads-up displays and gesture controls while Meta perfects the technology for full AR. By building a customer base comfortable with smart glasses today, Meta positions itself to dominate when true AR glasses become commercially viable in the coming years. ## Who Should Buy Them? **Display Glasses ($799) Are Best For:** - Early adopters excited about cutting-edge wearable tech - Professionals who need hands-free access to information - Urban navigators who want directions without phone dependency - Tech enthusiasts willing to invest in the future of computing - People interested in accessibility features like live captioning **Oakley Vanguard ($499) Are Best For:** - Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts - Action sports participants who need durable, secure eyewear - Fitness trackers wanting integration with Garmin devices - Anyone needing smart glasses with wraparound protection **Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 ($379) Are Best For:** - Budget-conscious buyers wanting smart glasses features - People prioritizing battery life and camera quality - Fashion-conscious users who want stylish everyday eyewear - First-time smart glasses users testing the category ## The Verdict: A Glimpse of the Future The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses don't represent the final form of AR eyewear—they're a transitional product that introduces key technologies while remaining commercially viable today. It was the neural wristband that really drilled home how much cutting-edge technology has been crammed into the Display glasses. And while the high price may turn off consumers, the glasses are novel enough to potentially attract developers seeking new computing platforms to build apps for. For $799, you're not just buying smart glasses—you're buying into Meta's vision of a future where computing happens on your face instead of in your hand. Whether that future appeals to you depends on your tolerance for being an early adopter, your comfort with Meta's data practices, and your willingness to adapt to new interaction paradigms. What's certain is that Meta has created the most advanced consumer smart glasses available today, and with sales tripling year-over-year, they're proving there's genuine demand for stylish, AI-powered eyewear. The future might not be evenly distributed yet, but at $799, it's at least becoming more accessible. And with the Neural Band making interactions feel genuinely magical, that future is starting to look pretty appealing.