Want Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses? You have to book a demo first - and they are going fast

Here's pair of Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and Neural Band in the Sand color. Kerry Wan/ZDNET Meta officially unveiled its first AI smart glasses with a built-in screen, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, at Meta Connect 2025. The company also revealed that the glasses will be available to purchase starting on September 30. However, if you want to buy a pair of the $799 smart glasses, you can't just pre-order them online. Instead you'll have to book a demo at one of Meta's retail partners such as Best Buy, LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and Ray-Ban stores. And, not every store will be offering the demos of Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses at launch. So you have to check the scheduling tool to find a store near you and then see what appointments they have available. The LensCrafters site says that appointments take 20 minutes. Also: I used the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, and they offer 2 breakthroughs to take us beyond smartphones If you were hoping to purchase a pair on launch day, you may already be out of luck. When I checked for demos in my area -- where there are multiple Best Buy, Sunglass Hut, and LensCrafter retail stores -- there was only one Best Buy offering demos and the earliest timeslot available to book was Oct. 11. When I typed in various zip codes in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, there were a lot more stores offering demos but the earliest open slot I found was October 8. The vast majority of the available time slots were in mid to late October. Some stores are already booking into November. When you book a slot, it says that "You'll be guided through a hands-on demo" and "Associates will help you find the right style." To secure your slot, you also have to click an acknowledgement that says, "I understand that if I need prescription lenses, I must know my prescription details or wear my contact lenses to properly experience the demo. Demo glasses have a prescription range of -4.00 to +4.00 total power, single vision only. Availability may vary." The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses come with the Neural Band and a folding case for $799. Jason Hiner/ZDNET Only those who get the demo will be able to purchase the glasses. This is likely one of the ways that Meta is dealing with constrained supply of its next generation product, which integrates several breakthrough technologies including a monocular LCOS display and an EMG wristband for neural input. Supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo has stated that Meta only plans to manufacture 150,000-200,000 units of the glasses over the next two years. Also: Meta Connect 2025 live updates: Reactions to Ray-Ban Display, Oakley Vanguard glasses, more The day after the official announcement of the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth did a Q&A on Instagram where he explained why Meta is taking this approach with sales of its new flagship glasses at launch. "We decided to put the [Meta Ray-Ban] Display on sale in retail stores first -- and people are setting up demos," said Bosworth. "A thing that happens with tech products is that they get purchased by people who just want to try them out [and then return them]. And we wanted to make sure that they're [bought by] ... people who really wanted them. But it's just a temporary thing." Bosworth added, "Of course, over time, we plan to have them available online through meta.com and other retailers." It makes sense that Meta doesn't want to have a large number of returns of a product that is difficult to manufacture and in such short supply at launch. Meta does a brisk business in refurbished units of the classic Meta Ray-Bans, which ZDNET has recommended as a great way to pick up a pair of the smart glasses at a discount. But refurbishing the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses with their expensive components and more complex technology could be a much bigger challenge while the product is first coming to market. Aside from the booking challenge, ZDNET would recommend that most people who are interested in the Meta Ray-Ban Display book a demo to get a look at the technology; but if you want to purchase a pair of smart glasses, then go with the newly updated Meta Ray-Bans Gen 2, Meta Oakley HSTN, or Meta Oakley Vanguard to get started in the ecosystem and see where smart glasses can fit into your work and lifestyle.