(Credit: Meta)
Don't miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the company's first-ever smart glasses with a built-in display at its Connect conference on Wednesday.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses take Ray-Ban's wayfarer design, infuse it with smartphone-like AI features, and add a screen in the right lens to provide an augmented reality experience without the bulk of a headset. The glasses weigh just 69 grams.
The high-resolution display can be controlled using a wrist accessory called the Meta Neural Band. It relies on surface electromyography (EMG) to detect hand gestures such as scrolling and tapping.
The frames have also got cameras, speakers, and microphones baked in. "You can check messages, preview photos, see translations, get help from Meta AI, and more — all without needing to pull out your phone," Meta says.
Unlike the regular Ray-Ban Meta glasses, when you take pictures or videos using the Meta Ray-Ban Display, you can see the camera view on the built-in display. With the added assistance of the Meta Neural Band, you can capture media using hand gestures and select and share them.
The camera view also comes in handy with Meta AI. You can ask the assistant questions about what's in front of you. In a demo, a user asks if the tomatoes in their view are ripe and then requests recipe suggestions. In another demo, a user is seen translating a sign.
The smart glasses also let you receive video calls from WhatsApp and Messenger, with the other person seeing your camera view. Additionally, you can view text and multimedia messages from WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and your phone.
Another addition is conversation focus, "which uses the glasses’ open-ear speakers to amplify the voice of the person you’re talking to, helping distinguish it from ambient background noise in cafes and restaurants, parks, and other busy places," Meta says. This could be helpful for those with hearing impairments or when you are in loud surroundings. Conversation focus will be available soon as a software update on Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN glasses.
Meta is also extending live translation support to German and Portuguese, starting today. The glasses also support French, Italian, Spanish, and English. Translations will even work when you’re in airplane mode, if you downloaded the language pack in advance, Meta says.
(Credit: Meta/Ray-Ban via YouTube)Zuckerberg also demonstrated how the glasses can play music. The volume adjustments are made by mimicking the turning of a circular dial. You can also control the volume by pinching and swiping your thumb on the index finger to change the track.
The glasses also provide "phone-free" walking directions. Just drop your destination, and you'll see a visual map on the display. This feature will get a limited release at launch. It will be in beta for select cities, with more to be added at a later date.
Another feature that will be added soon is the ability to type messages by mimicking your handwriting on a surface.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, with the accompanying Meta Neural Band, cost $799 and will be available at Best Buy, LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and Ray-Ban Stores in the US starting on Sept. 30. The glasses come in two sizes, large and standard, and two colors: black and sand. All models feature Transitions lenses to automatically adjust to different lighting.
The wristband comes in three sizes. It's also got an IPX7 water rating. With regular use, Meta promises six hours of battery life for the glasses and 18 hours for the wristband.
Meta also unveiled two other smart glasses: Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) and a new Oakley Meta Vanguard with a camera at the center of the frame.