Meta has just unveiled its latest innovation in wearable technology: the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. Introduced at the company’s Meta Connect event, these glasses feature an augmented reality screen and serve as a significant evolution from the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses launched in 2023. These new smart glasses maintain the signature ultra-wide camera on the left side, integrated microphones, and custom open-ear speakers. The standout addition is a heads-up display (HUD) cleverly positioned at the bottom of the right lens. Complementing this, the device comes with the Meta Neural Band, a surface electromyography (sEMG) wristband that enables users to control actions through intuitive gestures.
Price and Availability
The Meta Ray-Ban Display is priced at $799 (approximately Rs. 70,100), a package that includes both the smart glasses and the Meta Neural Band. Customers can choose between Black and Sand color options. These cutting-edge smart glasses are scheduled to hit select offline retailers in the US on September 30, including prominent stores like Best Buy, LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and official Ray-Ban outlets. An expansion into Canada, France, Italy, and the UK is planned for the following year.
Unfortunately, there are no immediate plans for an India launch.
Specifications and Key Features
This marks Meta’s inaugural venture into smart glasses featuring an integrated AR display. Weighing in at 69g, the Meta Ray-Ban Display is slightly heavier than the Vanguard model and noticeably more substantial than its predecessor, the Ray-Ban Meta. The new display screen, situated at the bottom of the right lens, boasts a 600 x 600 resolution, offers a 20-degree field of vision, and achieves an impressive peak brightness of 5,000 nits.
Despite its high brightness, Meta assures users that the screen exhibits only a two percent light leakage, ensuring privacy for the wearer. The display supports a fluid 90Hz refresh rate for general use, dropping to 30Hz when viewing content.
Crafted with the iconic Wayfarer frames, these glasses incorporate transition lenses for optimal comfort in diverse lighting conditions, both indoors and outdoors. They also accommodate prescriptions ranging from -4.00 to +4.00. For capturing moments, the Meta Ray-Ban Display is equipped with a 12-megapixel camera featuring 3X zoom, capable of shooting images up to 3,024 x 4,032p and videos in 1080p at 30fps. The smart glasses offer 32GB of onboard storage, ample space for approximately 1,000 images and 100 30-second videos.
A crucial component of this new system is the Meta Neural Band. This sEMG wristband, first showcased with the Orion prototype at the Connect 2024 event, interprets subtle muscle movements in the wrist and fingers, translating them into electrical signals. These signals are then paired with specific actions on the device. This innovative technology allows users to navigate the screen or interact with augmented reality elements through simple finger gestures. Meta has ambitious plans for the future, including enabling users to compose full messages using the wristband.
The Meta Neural Band is the culmination of four years of dedicated research by the tech giant. Constructed from Vectran, the same material famously used in the Mars Rover’s crash pads, it promises exceptional durability and flexibility. It carries an IPX7 rating for splash resistance and is designed to provide up to 18 hours of battery life.
So, what truly sets the Meta Ray-Ban Display apart from conventional smart glasses without a screen? With Meta AI now featuring visual responses, users can read information directly on their display, not just hear it. The glasses also facilitate sending and receiving text messages and video calls, with the latter currently supported exclusively through WhatsApp and Messenger.
The heads-up display also serves as a precise camera viewfinder. Thanks to the new 3X zoom, users can clearly see if their zoomed subject is perfectly framed. Beyond communication and photography, the screen offers practical applications like pedestrian navigation, real-time live translation, and on-screen captions.