Meta shows off new smart glasses with high-tech display and price tag to match

If you have always wanted glasses with a heads up display nestled inside, the future is finally here thanks to the new Meta Ray-Ban Display that Meta just announced. The catch is you’ll have to fork out the same amount as the new iPhone 17 to get them.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display is an evolution of the wildly popular Meta Ray-Ban and Meta Oakley ranges that put cameras and headphones into glasses and sunglasses to take photos and video, post to social media and listen to music and podcasts.

The new Meta Ray-Ban Display does all of that but adds a full colour high-resolution display that projects onto the right lens. Meta says the display resolution of 42 pixels per degree is higher than any consumer VR headset.

This mini screen is controlled by an included ‘Neural Band’ that the user wears on their wrist. It detects hand and finger movements for you to scroll through menus, messages and options.

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram owner Meta says the wristband “interprets the natural signals created by your muscle activity to navigate the features of your glasses — letting you control experiences intuitively using subtle hand movements, without having to touch your glasses or take out your phone.”

As well as reading incoming messages, the screen can show previews of photos or videos you’ve taken on the frames, give you a map so you can follow directions, show you the recipe you’re trying to follow, or even translate what someone is saying to you in a foreign language in a live captioned transcription.

You'll be able to:

• Ask Meta AI questions about what the camera sees
• Message and video call using WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram or your phone
• Preview and zoom into images or videos taken with the camera
• Navigate with maps
• See live captions and translations
• View music playback and control various apps

The Meta Ray-Ban Display is coming to the US on September 30 for a hefty $799, the same price as the new iPhone 17 that goes on sale tomorrow, September 19. Meta plans to bring the frames to the UK in “early 2026”, with pricing to be confirmed.

Meta says the smart glasses with their heads-up display aren’t too distracting.

“Designing Meta Ray-Ban Display involved a balance between lighting up the display with visuals and helping you stay connected to the people and things around you,” the firm said in a press release.

“The display is placed off to the side, so it doesn’t obstruct your view. And it isn’t on constantly — it’s designed for short interactions that you’re always in control of. This isn't about strapping a phone to your face. It's about helping you quickly accomplish some of your everyday tasks without breaking your flow.”

The glasses come in Black or Sand colours in standard or large. I’ve thoroughly tested the first-gen regular Meta Ray-Ban and needed the large size, and those frames look a tad goofy thanks to the necessarily thick arms to house the batteries. The Ray-Ban Display needs to be even larger, so you’ll need to not mind wearing some fairly chunky glasses all day.

All pairs come with transition frames that’ll go dark in sunlight, and there are prescription options if you need. Meta claims you’ll get up to six hours of “mixed-use” battery life, so just like the originals, it’ll be a pain to need to charge your glasses (and the Neural Band) if you’re relying on them to see.

Meta also announced a second-gen version of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with better battery life for £379 as well as Oakley Meta Vanguard "Performance AI Glasses" designed for athletes at a cost of £499.