Meta Launches Smart …
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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.
Meta Neural Band (Credit: Meta)
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 not only capture media using hand gestures but also 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 is seen asking 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.
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Another great addition is live captions and translation. To demo the feature during the Connect keynote, Zuckerberg invited Meta CTO Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth to the stage. When Zuckerberg started talking, Boz’s glasses began displaying subtitles. This could be helpful for those with hearing impairment or when you are in loud surroundings. The press release doesn’t state which languages will be supported at launch.
(Credit: Meta/Ray-Ban via YouTube)
Zuckerberg also demonstrated how the glasses can play music, with the volume adjustments made by mimicking the turning of a circular dial. You can also control 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.
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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 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, so you can choose what fits you the best. 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 yesterday: Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), a successor to the highly successful Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and a new Oakley Meta Vanguard with a camera at the center of the frame. Some of these announcements were leaked earlier this week.
