As soon as I saw someone wearing Meta's new AR glasses for the first time, I knew they looked different. Thicker than regular Meta Ray-Bans, they reminded me of something filmmaker Martin Scorsese would wear. They were stylish, with a sort of translucent-ish brown frame. I also noticed its sidekick, the ribbed fabric wristband, but only because I was looking for it.
The new Meta's Ray-Ban Display Glasses are very real. They go on sale Sept. 30 for $799.
And they're wild to use. When wearing a pair myself, I saw a display projected on the lens of my right eye. I navigated apps with little flicks and pinches of my right hand sporting the neural band, which is part of the set.
Watch this: Meta Ray-Bans Get Built-In Displays and a Neural Wristband 05:53
The current Meta Ray-Bans are different: They don't have a display or a wristband, and they cost a lot less. They're also the best smart glasses right now. I'm not sure how many people will find Meta's new Display Glasses essential or affordable. Also, they won't work with all prescriptions.
For example, I have a -8.00 refraction, and Meta's newest glasses won't work for me. They're only designed to fit a +4.00 to -4.00 prescription range for now (though Meta provided some chunky lens inserts so I could actually see the demo). That missing piece says a lot about where Meta is with designing smart eyewear for everyone.
The Display Glasses are the most expensive and ambitious device announced at Meta Connect 2025, but they're not alone. The company also debuted the newest generation of standard Meta Ray-Bans, available now, with better cameras and battery life, as well as the fitness-focused curved Oakley Vanguard glasses, coming Oct. 21.
Meta's new glasses are a package with the neural band: They're a set. Meta
It's all in the wristband
While Meta's Ray-Bans have become a success as wearable smart tech, the next steps on the road to augmented reality glasses are more challenging. A year ago, I tried Meta's moonshot prototype for AR glasses, Project Orion, which had large 3D displays, eye tracking and worked with a neural wristband. The promise was to make glasses almost an augmented extension of the body, a way to bring AI to your wrist and eyes.
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