Meta Connect, here are the glasses of the future: from Ray-Ban to Oakley, it's like wearing a computer

Five years after the debut of the first Ray-Ban Meta, Mark Zuckerberg took advantage of Meta Connect —the annual event dedicated primarily to AR and VR technologies—to present the new generation of smart glasses with artificial intelligence designed by the Menlo Park giant, which we had the opportunity to try out in preview.

“Glasses are the ideal format for personal super intelligence because they allow you to stay present in the moment and access all these artificial intelligence capabilities to make you smarter, help you communicate better, enhance your memory and senses,” said Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta.

The announcement revolves around three main innovations: the update to the core Ray-Ban Meta line, the introduction of the Oakley Meta Vanguard designed for athletes, and the debut of the Meta Ray-Ban Display – formerly known as Project Hypernova – which can be controlled via a wrist band called the Neural Band.

The Ray-Ban Meta Update

The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2—available now at a price of €419 for the base model, €449 for the polarized version, and €499 for the Transition version—represent a solid upgrade: they have an improved battery that promises eight hours of use. A 50% charge takes just 20 minutes in the case, which provides up to 48 hours of battery life.

The glasses weigh 52 grams, have 32 GB of internal memory, and the photography and video capabilities have also been improved: there's a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor and you can shoot 3K videos at 30 FPS, 1440p at 30 FPS, or 1200p at 60 FPS, still limited to three minutes. All of this, of course, by pressing the small button on one of the two arms of the smart glasses.

Meta has also promised two new video recording modes will be introduced this fall: hyperlapse, which compresses long videos into a shorter, accelerated clip, and slow motion. Gen 2 models will be available in Wayfarer, Skyler, and Headliner models, and in addition to the standard colors, three special models will be available for a limited time: Wayfarer Cosmic Blue, Skyler Mystic Violet, and Headliner Shiny Asteroid, all with transition lenses (also known as photochromic lenses, which automatically adjust to light conditions).

The new Oakley Meta Vanguard

The Oakley Meta Vanguard is clearly designed for athletes and is positioned in the action camera segment, where it promises to be a credible alternative.

They're dustproof, can be submerged in up to one meter of water, and while they don't offer the same versatility as dedicated video cameras, they're ideal for outdoor activities. They're priced at €549. The single, front-facing camera shares the same specifications as the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, but with a wider 122° aperture. They'll hit the market on October 21st, already featuring Hyperlapse and Slow Motion features.

Since this is a model designed for athletes, the speakers are more powerful to counteract wind noise, while the microphones employ a noise-cancelling system that ensures clear conversations even in crowded environments. Compared to the standard model, the button for taking photos or recording videos without voice commands has been moved to the bottom of the earpiece. Battery life is 9 hours in mixed use, with up to 6 hours of continuous music playback, plus an additional 36 hours thanks to the charging case: just 20 minutes is enough to recharge 50% of the battery. The most interesting new feature, however, is the native integration of services highly appreciated by athletes such as Garmin and Strava.

The idea is to make data like heart rate and pace accessible during workouts without having to use a smartphone or look at a screen: a simple voice command to Meta AI is all it takes to receive updates via headphones, while a small LED light indicates whether you're within or outside of your set target, whether it's heart rate or pedaling pace. Among the new features is also an automatic recording function: videos start automatically when certain parameters are reached (such as an increase in speed or elevation gain), allowing you to document your activity without interrupting your workout.

Thanks to the partnership with Strava, users will be able to overlay their sports performance data onto their photos and clips, then share them both within the community and on other social media. Simply select the information you want to display: the app will automatically generate a video combining images and biometric data, offering an instant overview of your performance: a must-have for athletes or anyone who wants to share a day of trekking, a bike ride, or a marathon.

Overlayed videos can also be shared to other apps like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and more, and when you set up a connection with Garmin Connect, Apple Health or Android Health Connect, you can get activity summaries directly in the Meta AI app after each workout so you can compare your progress over time.

The Oakley Meta Vanguard will be available in four colors and will include replacement nose pads. Additionally, additional lenses can be purchased separately, either to replace damaged lenses or simply to change the style.

A glimpse of the future: Meta Ray-Ban Displays

The Meta Ray-Ban Display is the highlight of this Meta Connect. It's a new model of smart glasses, inspired by the Wayfarer design, with an integrated display and a new accessory: the Meta Neural Band, a bracelet capable of interpreting forearm muscle signals to navigate menus.

Pricing starts at $799, including glasses and a bracelet, and the watch is scheduled to launch in US stores on September 30. It is scheduled to arrive in Canada, France, Italy, and the UK in early 2026.

The frames will be available in two colorways, Shiny Black and Shiny Sand, and two different sizes. They feature Transition lenses and offer up to six hours of battery life with mixed use. The cameras feature the same specifications as the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2: a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, with recording limited to vertical video in 1080p at 30 FPS. Inside, they feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 processor and IPX4 certification, which protects them from light rain but not from immersion or prolonged exposure to water.

Meta aims to offer a device that allows users to maintain their gaze on the real world, avoiding the feeling of isolation typical of augmented reality headsets. To integrate the display into a traditional-looking Ray-Ban frame, a micro-projector hidden in the temple was used, which reflects the image onto the right lens through a thin transparent layer. This ensures that the screen is visible only to the wearer, without increasing the thickness of the frame or compromising the view.

The display, with a resolution of 600 x 600 pixels, is positioned slightly lower in the field of vision and offers high brightness and good contrast, ensuring readability even outdoors. From the outside, however, it remains completely invisible. The user experience is natural and comfortable: the glasses weigh 69 grams and the screen doesn't interfere with vision, as you simply lower your gaze slightly to consult it. Furthermore, it automatically turns off after 20 seconds of inactivity.

Among the features we were able to try out were reading WhatsApp notifications, watching Instagram videos, getting directions, and listening to music—with the hope that a karaoke mode will be added in the future. You can also ask Meta AI for recipe instructions, displayed in handy panels, or generate an image on a wall, for example, to simulate a wallpaper effect.

The real-time translation feature is particularly interesting: thanks to the cameras, the glasses recognize the person speaking and instantly translate what's being said, displaying the text on the screen. This mode can also be used in your own language, to facilitate understanding in very noisy or crowded environments, where other voices might otherwise hinder conversation.

A bracelet to interact with glasses: the Meta Neural Band

The real leap into the future proposed by Zuckerberg, which has been under study for some time in the Meta laboratories, is the Meta Neural Band, which, when worn like a normal bracelet, allows you to navigate the glasses' menus without using the phone's touchpad or your voice.

The gesture control system is simple and intuitive, although it takes about ten minutes to get used to. Putting your index finger and thumb together selects a menu item, while using your thumb and middle finger takes you back. By closing your hand into a fist with your pinky pointing down, you can navigate through the options using your thumb as if it were a gamepad joystick. Rotating your fist left or right also adjusts the volume.

In the future, the ability to write messages by moving your fingers will also be available, for those who don't want to dictate them: this feature is still in the testing phase and can't be tested at this time. It's already possible to send voice messages, even by whispering.

The future is expensive and remains to be seen.

At the end of the test, you really have the feeling of being at the beginning of a new era for wearable devices, almost like having in your hands a “Google Glass that works”, to quote a recurring comment during the presentation.

The Neural Band is certainly a pricey product, but it's still affordable for those who want to receive notifications and interact with digital content without taking their eyes off the real world. It's not a must-have device, nor is it suitable for those seeking a digital detox, but it's still a fascinating tool for those who want to experience the future and the state-of-the-art augmented reality available to the public today.

While many things can still be controlled by voice or smartphone, the Neural Band in particular is surprising for its precision and promises to be a control system for future devices. The only observation we can make is that it still represents a small element of friction compared to the freedom of being able to control a device without having to remember to wear a bracelet.

It's undoubtedly very useful when we know we can't use our hands, because we're driving, exercising, or kneading pizza dough, but it's still something we have to remember to do compared to the simplicity of simply putting on a pair of glasses and controlling them with our voice. To put it bluntly, it would be like having a laptop and always having to remember to carry a mouse.