Meta Ray‑Ban Display review — Impressive display but bulky first‑gen tradeoffs

Meta’s new Ray‑Ban Display smart glasses promise a wearable step forward: a bright monocular display, a responsive Neural Band controller, and built‑in Meta AI features. After ten days of daily use, the core impression is mixed — exciting tech inside, but a lot of first‑generation compromises.

Key facts at a glance:

• Price: $800 — positioned as a premium, early‑adopter product.
• Display: monocular right‑eye display with ~20° field of view; bright and clear but not immersive.
• Weight & comfort: frames are chunky (about 69g) and can press after several hours; available in black and a lighter “sand” color.
• Battery: Meta quotes ~6 hours; real‑world life depends heavily on usage — video calls and translation drain it much faster.

The glasses include a mini projector and waveguide to drive the display and pair with the Meta Neural Band — a wristband that uses electromyography (EMG) to register subtle finger gestures for navigation. The band works reliably in the reviewer’s experience, translating taps and swipes into smooth control without obvious false positives.

What you can do today:

• Check Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger messages, watch incoming Reels and media in chats.
• Use Meta AI with card‑style results, live captions and live translation for real‑time text feeds — useful as both convenience and accessibility features.
• Frame photos using a camera preview on the display and perform simple navigation, music playback and a few lightweight apps (including a small game, Hypertrail).

Notable limitations and pain points:

• Form factor: the frames are wide and thick; many users may find the look off‑putting for everyday wear.
• App ecosystem: integrations are limited and not all phone notifications are supported. iOS users may face restrictions due to platform limits (messages may not sync read status or thread context).
• Messaging workflow quirks: sending photos from the glasses often requires a phone step or cloud links; group chat replies can be confusing.
• Navigation: walking directions sometimes misroute due to map data; Meta relies on OpenStreetMap and Overture.
• Battery & charging case: heavy display use reduces run time significantly, and the supplied charging case requires frequent recharges compared to simpler Ray‑Ban Meta models.

Privacy and safety are recurring concerns. While the display model doesn’t add fundamentally new privacy mechanics compared to Meta’s other wearables, the company’s overall data practices and the potential for increased data collection make many observers wary. An LED indicates when the camera is recording, and Meta says it does not enable facial recognition on these glasses.

Who should consider buying?

If you’re an early adopter who prioritizes trying the latest wearable display tech, or someone who values hands‑free messaging, Meta AI cards and live caption/translation, these glasses are compelling. For most buyers — especially at an $800 price point — the bulkier design, limited app support and battery tradeoffs mean the second‑gen Ray‑Ban Meta frames (cheaper and more style choices) are a more practical option.

Want to read the original review? See the Engadget piece here. If you want to search availability, here’s an Amazon search link: Meta Ray‑Ban Display on Amazon.

Discussion: Would you trade style and battery life for a wearable display — or is this still too early for smart glasses to be mainstream?