Meta is doubling down on wearable tech.

On Sept. 17, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the company’s next-generation of smart glasses, complete with a tiny built-in display that brings messages, navigation, video calls, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools directly into a user’s line of sight, CNN reports.

The announcement came during Meta’s annual Connect event in Menlo Park, CA, where the company also revealed updates to its Quest 3 headsets and the launch of other new wearables. According to CNN, the smart glasses highlight Meta’s ongoing push to make AI part of daily life while competing with other tech giants like Google, Samsung, and Amazon.

Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses

The highlight of the event was the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which feature a small screen in the inside right lens. According to CNN, the display appears to float in front of a user’s environment, making it possible to view texts, take video calls, watch Instagram Reels, and even see live captioning and translations during conversations.

“Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal super intelligence because they let you stay present in the moment while getting access to all of these AI capabilities to make you smarter, help you communicate better, improve your memory, improve your senses,” Zuckerberg said, per the outlet.

The glasses pair with a new wristband that lets users control the display using hand gestures, such as tapping their thumb and index finger to select items. Only the wearer can see the display, helping protect privacy, but users can also switch it off and wear the glasses like a standard pair of Ray-Bans.

Per CNN, the glasses last about six hours on a charge, with the case extending battery life up to 30 hours. They’ll be available starting Sept. 30 for $799 in select U.S. retail locations, including Verizon, LensCrafters, Ray-Ban, and Best Buy.

Other Wearables Announced

In addition to the Ray-Ban Display, Meta rolled out other wearables:

  • Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 ($379): According to CNN, this update brings longer battery life, improved video recording, and new color options. It can capture 3K video and, later this year, will include slow-motion and hyperlapse video features.
  • Meta Oakley Vanguard ($499): Designed for athletes, these sport glasses pair with apps like Strava and Garmin to track workouts. Per CNN, they’re water- and dust-resistant, have the longest battery life of any Meta glasses (around nine hours), and feature a wider camera field of view.

The Future Of Meta Glasses

Smart glasses remain a niche market, but growth is picking up. In a press release, EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban’s parent company, shared that revenue from Meta glasses has more than tripled year-over-year. By 2026, the company’s goal is to produce 10 million pairs annually, CNN reports.

The outlet reported that EssilorLuxottica’s Chief Wearables Officer, Rocco Basilico, described the Meta Ray-Ban Display as the company’s “biggest launch so far,” adding, “If you actually need, like, some super-powers, some immediate information, that could be delivered through audio or through the display.”

While demos at Meta’s Connect event had a few hiccups — including a failed assistant response and a missed video call during the keynote — CNN reported that Zuckerberg told the audience the sales trajectory for Meta’s smart glasses could rival “some of the most popular consumer electronics of all time.”