Mark Zuckerberg unveils Meta’s new AI-powered smart glasses at the company’s annual Connect conference.
The high-tech eyewear promises video calls, AI assistance and gesture controls, aiming to make wearable technology mainstream.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled a new generation of AI-powered smart glasses, signaling the company’s push to make wearable technology a mainstream accessory. The launch took place on Wednesday at the company’s annual Meta Connect developer conference in Silicon Valley.
The headline product, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, features a full-color high-resolution screen built into one lens, allowing users to conduct video calls, view messages, and access Meta’s AI assistant. The device also includes a 12-megapixel camera for capturing photos and video.
Alongside the Ray-Ban Display, Meta introduced the Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, targeted at sports enthusiasts, and a second-generation Ray-Ban Meta model. The new devices are priced at $799 for the Ray-Ban Display, $499 for the Oakley Vanguard, and $379 for the updated Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
Zuckerberg also showcased a neural wristband designed to pair with the glasses, enabling users to perform tasks such as sending messages through subtle hand gestures.
Despite technical hiccups during the live demo, including a failed WhatsApp call to the glasses, Zuckerberg described the technology as a “huge scientific breakthrough.”
Industry analysts say smart glasses may succeed where Meta’s metaverse project has struggled.
“Unlike VR headsets, glasses are an everyday, non-cumbersome form factor,” said Mike Proulx, VP at Forrester Research. “The onus is on Meta to convince the vast majority of people who don’t own AI glasses that the benefits outweigh the cost.”
Meta has sold about two million pairs of smart glasses since entering the market in 2023. However, analysts like Leo Gebbie of CCS Insight remain cautious, noting that the higher price of the Display may limit adoption compared to earlier, more affordable Ray-Ban models.
The unveiling comes as Meta faces mounting scrutiny over the impact of its platforms on children. On the same day as the launch, activists and bereaved parents protested at Meta’s New York headquarters, demanding stronger safeguards for minors.
The protest followed Senate testimony from two former Meta researchers who alleged the company downplayed evidence of harm to children linked to its VR products, claims Meta dismissed as “nonsense.”
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has pledged hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure investments, including massive data centers across the U.S., to advance what the company calls “superintelligence” AI systems capable of surpassing human cognitive abilities.
As Meta doubles down on AI wearables, the company faces a dual challenge: persuading consumers of the value of its smart glasses while fending off public and regulatory concerns about the safety of its broader product ecosystem.
