Meta Platforms launched the Meta Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses on September 17th. These are the first glasses with a built-in screen and AI hand gesture control. They feature messaging, video calls, music, live captions, and a camera. They are priced at $799 and will be available for sale starting September 30th.
Mark Zuckerberg’s company, Meta Platforms, launched its latest smartglasses, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, on September 17th. According to a Bloomberg report, this is the company’s first version with a built-in screen. According to Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer, it’s the “first serious product” in this segment.
Bosworth said the goal is to allow people to integrate some of their phone’s features into their glasses or AI goggles. “This will allow you to easily access essential features without having to carry your phone around in your pocket all day,” he said. He added that while phones won’t disappear, glasses are a more convenient way to access popular features.
Key Features of Meta Ray-Ban Display
1. Display and interface: The right lens has a screen that can display text messages, video calls, turn-by-turn directions in Maps, query results from Meta’s AI service, photos, music controls, and a digital viewfinder for the camera.
2. Control system: Users can swipe on the frame like the older model, but now the main interface is based on hand gestures. Users must wear a neural wristband.
3. Hand Gesture Controls:
- Users can select objects by pressing their thumb and index finger.
- Swipe across objects by sliding your thumb across your hand.
- Turn on the AI voice assistant by double-tapping.
- Move your hand in the air to adjust music volume and other controls.
- In addition to app interactions and the ability to handle AI queries, the glasses also have a Live Caption feature that displays spoken words—including translations—in real time, just like closed captions on TV. The video calling feature allows wearers to see the person they’re talking to and share their perspective.
4. Other features:
- Live Caption feature, which displays spoken words with real-time translation, similar to closed captions on TV.
- Video calling feature allows wearers to see the person they’re talking to and share their perspective.
- Users can respond to messages by sending audio recordings or by speaking.
- Later this year, the wristband will include another option: airwriting.
- In a future update, the glasses will be able to focus on the wearer while filtering out background noise.
5. Supported apps: At launch, these apps will support Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and a music app operated by Spotify Technology SA. The Instagram app will initially only support direct messages, but Meta plans to add Reels viewing later this year.
Specifications of Meta Ray-Ban Display
- Field of View and Resolution: 20-degree field of view, 600 x 600 pixel resolution
- Brightness: 30 to 5,000 nits, useful in outdoor conditions, although it can be a bit difficult in bright sunlight.
- Prescription Support: Those with certain prescriptions can take advantage of the built-in order option.
- Camera: External camera with a 12-megapixel sensor.
- Video Recording and Battery Life: These glasses record 1080p video and last up to six hours on a single charge.
- Neural Wristband: This wristband, called the Meta Neural Band, is available in three sizes and offers 18 hours of battery life.
Price and sales
- Price: $799
- Sale Date: Starting September 30th, also available online after fitting and onboarding in retail stores
- Sizes and Colors: Two sizes, two colors: black and sand brown
- Sellers: These will be sold at limited locations of Ray-Ban, LensCrafters International Inc., Best Buy Co., and Verizon Communications Inc.
The report states that this launch is a key part of Meta’s effort to build its own consumer technology ecosystem, similar to Apple and Alphabet. Bosworth said that Meta expects to sell 100,000 units by the end of next year and hopes to sell every unit it sells.
Bosworth added, “We really feel like we’ve captured the spirit of the times at the right time with the AI boom. We really wanted to offer these to people who will actually use them, not to technology enthusiasts who just buy them for the sake of it and don’t actually use them.”
