Meta is reportedly planning a significant upgrade to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, with a new model featuring a built-in display set to launch in the second half of 2025.
So what’s changing?
The Financial Times reported that the display will enable users to engage with Meta’s AI assistant and view notifications, extending the device’s capabilities beyond its current audio-based capabilities.
Adding a display could make the glasses more useful by offering features like better notifications from connected devices and navigational assistance. This move is consistent with Meta’s broader push into wearable technology, spearheaded by its Reality Labs division, which also produces VR headsets.
The Ray-Ban smart glasses have become more well-known since their September 2023 release because they combine cutting-edge technology with the iconic Ray-Ban design. Users can now make calls, send messages, and take pictures hands-free thanks to the glasses’ in-ear speakers, microphones, covert camera, and touch-sensitive controls. But, in contrast to rivals, their capabilities have been constrained by the lack of a display.
Competition to Apple, Google?
Meta’s upcoming glasses are part of a larger effort to stay competitive in the growing market for augmented reality (AR) and wearable devices. Companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple are also developing smart glasses and AR technologies, with Google and Samsung planning to release Android XR glasses in 2025.
The development of Meta’s third-generation smart glasses comes on the heels of its demonstration of the Orion AR glasses earlier this year. Although Orion remains a prototype and is too expensive for mass production, the positive response from developers has reportedly accelerated Meta’s efforts to incorporate similar display technology into its Ray-Ban glasses.
Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has called 2025 “the most important year in the history of Reality Labs.” By adding a display to its smart glasses, Meta aims to offer users a more immersive and functional experience while maintaining the sleek, stylish design that has made the Ray-Ban line a success.
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