Meta has released its first smart glasses with a built-in display, and the device demonstrates that smart glasses are a credible new computing platform rather than a gimmick, according to a Bloomberg review.
The Ray-Ban Display glasses, priced at $799 and controlled through a neural wristband, deliver smart features including photo and video capture, AI assistant access and wireless audio. The screen allows users to read text messages, view AI results, frame photos and replay captured videos, reports Bloomberg.
Mark Gurman described the neural band as one of the most impressive new input systems he has tried in years. The band uses sensors on the wrist to detect finger gestures, with users pinching thumb and index finger to select, moving the thumb in different directions to scroll, and pinching thumb and middle finger to go back.
“When the features work, they work so well that I often left my phone in my pocket entirely,” Gurman said.
The glasses weigh 70 grams, a third heavier than Meta’s non-display version. The 20-degree field of view display has 600-by-600-pixel resolution and can reach 5,000 nits brightness with auto-tinting glass, though it struggles in bright sunlight.
Available in black or light brown and in regular or large sizes, the glasses support prescription lenses for near or farsightedness and astigmatism, with total power ranging from -4.00D to +4.00D. Prescription lenses add $200 and a five to eight week wait.
The software interface includes core apps covering calls, camera, music, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, photos, captions, maps and tutorials. Turn-by-turn navigation in Maps projects directions directly into view in supported markets.
Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth said the company is exploring adding a built-in cellular modem for future versions and plans to expand its glasses developer toolkit for broader software support.
Future software updates will include a dedicated Reels app for Instagram videos, expanded Spotify integration, a teleprompter feature and a neural band handwriting feature for responding to messages.
The glasses require in-store demos before purchase and are not yet available online.
