This September, Meta unveiled the most ambitious smartglasses in its lineup – Ray-Ban Display. This is the first mass-market model of the brand with a display built into the right lens and a Meta Neural Band control bracelet that reads finger movements. According to the company’s idea, from now on, you look up, not the phone: short messages,
What is this display and how it works
Instead of a large “helmet”, there is only a small colored panel in the right lens. It shows content in short cards and is located on the side so as not to block the view. Meta emphasizes that the screen is only turned on for quick interactions, namely, opening a task, reading it, reacting, and returning to the conversation or the road. The resolution is 600×600 pixels, and the format is monocular (one eye), with a field of view of about 20° for indications and tips.
By the way, the monocular display in the right lens does not draw a full-fledged AR picture of the world, as we know in other virtual glasses. Here, it’s more like a compact HUD: a turn map, photo confirmation, track card, or incoming message.
Meta Neural Band
The main trick of the novelty is a bracelet with EMG sensors. It can read neuromuscular activity on the wrist, turning subtle squeezes and gestures into commands. With a simple pinch, you can open a reply to a message, scroll through a recipe, switch tracks, or even write out a short phrase in the air – the bracelet recognizes movements as writing. The Neural Band battery lasts up to 18 hours and is IPX7 waterproof.
How can this be used? For example, you arrive in an unfamiliar neighborhood, select an address in the app, and as you walk, a simple map with turns appears in the lens, and you can confirm the next step of the route with a gesture/pinch without taking out your phone.
What the screen shows in the lens
Navigation on foot with visual cues, simultaneous subtitles during a conversation and instant translation into selected languages, private viewing and replying to messages from WhatsApp, Messenger, or SMS – all of this is systematically designed for short interactions. The glasses also support video calls – the other person sees what you see, and the context of the conversation appears on the screen.
Camera, sound, battery
Ray-Ban Display has a 12-megapixel camera with a wide angle and 3X zoom, and video up to 1440×1920 at 30fps. The sound is provided by open speakers and a five-microphone system designed for clear voice commands and calls. There is also 32 GB of storage, which is enough for more than a hundred short videos and hundreds of photos. The glasses weigh 68-70 g, depending on the size, and a single charge will give up to 6 hours of mixed use. According to Ray-Ban, the case adds up to 24 hours, while Meta says 30 hours in total – probably the difference depends on the scenarios.
Not an AR helmet and not a smartphone replacement – and that’s a plus
As we said earlier, these glasses do not have full augmented reality. The philosophy is different – to suggest exactly as much as needed without constantly immersing you in the digital space. That’s why the screen doesn’t glow endlessly, and the design remains classic Ray-Ban – no bulky modules that give away any technology on the face. For the daily urban rhythm, this lightweight approach is much more practical than heavy AR headsets.
Who will benefit the most
- Those who walk around the city a lot.
- For those who work with foreign languages, live translation in the field of view is convenient when traveling and at meetings.
- For those who need quick responses and notifications without fiddling with their smartphones.
- And just for enthusiasts of new interfaces. EMG gestures are really a completely different way of interacting with technology.
Privacy
In general, using glasses with a camera requires strict caution. Always shoot something with them only where it is allowed, warn people around you, and avoid places where shooting is prohibited. The same applies to the built-in display – for example, a quick glance at a traffic light or elevator is acceptable, but it is completely unacceptable during a business conversation.
And let’s not forget about the cost.
The starter kit – glasses plus Neural Band – is priced at $799. On September 30, the device will be available in the US, followed by a gradual expansion to other markets. It is currently known that the first wave of international expansion is scheduled for early 2026. Most likely, the glasses will also appear in Ukraine sometime during this period.
