Meta has launched new smart glasses at its annual Meta Connect conference. In addition to an upgrade of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses with better battery life, it's launching a new model of the Ray-Bans with a built-in display for direct access to online apps and wristband for gesture controls.
The new Meta Ray-Ban Display comes with an in-lens, ful-colour display, where users can check messages and notifications from apps such as Facebook or Instagram and interact visually with the Meta AI assistant. Other features include live translation and real-time navigation, with live maps for selected cities launching later this year.
The other main innovation is the Meta Neural Band, a wristband to control the glasses using small hand gestures such as pinching, tapping or swiping. Based on Meta's research with electromyography, the band opens up a new form of controlling devices using the electrical signals generated by the nerves in the hand.
Pricing and availability
The Meta Ray-Ban Display will go on sale from 30 September starting at USD 799. It launches first in the US, including a carrier launch with Verizon, and will come to Canada, France, Italy, and the UK in early 2026.
For the lower starting price of USD 379, the new Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) glasses offer up to eight hours on a full charge, almost twice the battery life of the first generation, and come with higher-resolution video capture, at ultra HD 3K. They also charge faster and come with a charging case for an additional 48 hours of charging. The new glasses are available already in all markets where the Meta ray-Bans are sold, and will come to Mexico and India later this autumn.
Oakley Vanguard
In addition, Meta is expanding its Oakley range of smart glasses with the new Vanguard series, upgrading the specs from the original Oakley HSTNs. Made to fit with cycling helmets, the new glasses come with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, swappable Prizm lenses and nose pads, a 122-degree wide-angle camera, open-ear speakers and a five-array mic for improved sound. Also available with a charging case, they promise up to nine hours of battery use, or six hours with continuous music playback.
Meta also is starting a partnership with Garmin to pair the Oakley glasses with Garmin smartwatches, giving users access to real-time fitness data processing and feedback. A new autocapture feature also can take photos when fitness targets are reached, and Meta AI integration with the Strava app allows for sharing the images overlaid with performance stats.
Available from 21 October, the Vanguard glasses cost USD 499. They will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands to start, and come to Mexico, India, Brazil and the UAE later this year.
