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Meta’s Ray-Ban display glasses are finally coming to the UK, months after the company put the glasses’ international launch on ice. The Meta display glasses were originally supposed to arrive in the UK earlier this year, but Meta paused the rollout in January, blaming “overwhelming demand” in the US and limited stock availability. Instead, Meta said it would focus on fulfilling US orders and would reevaluate the international launch, leaving everyone waiting to get their hands on Meta’s first glasses with a built-in screen.
I tried the Meta Ray-Ban display at CES earlier this year and again ahead of Meta Connect. Wearing them feels like living in the future. Putting a full-colour display right in front of your eyes, Meta’s added a bunch of new features to coincide with the UK launch.
Here’s everything you need to know. Read more: Best smart glasses 2026, reviewed Meta Ray-Ban display design The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses are a lot chunkier than a regular pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The frames and arms are thicker so that Meta can accommodate all the tech, including the open-ear speakers, display and camera.
They weigh 69g; about 20g heavier than the Ray-Ban gen 2. I’ve tried the glasses twice now, and the display is super clear (Alex Lee/The Independent) They’re hefty for a reason. Meta has been able to fit a small full-colour display inside the right lens.
You can’t really tell it’s there unless you catch it at a specific angle. It’s not augmented reality – you don’t have virtual objects floating around the real world, for example – it’s more like a heads-up display in your field of view, giving you a nice little screen you can glance at when you need some info. You can use it to read messages, see walking directions, follow live captions and live translations.
You can also get visual responses from Meta AI. I also really like how the display acts as a viewfinder for the built-in camera. If you’ve ever used the Meta Ray-Ban gen 2 glasses, you’ll know how hard it is to frame subjects.
The camera is off-centre with the regular smart glasses, so it’s quite tricky to get the perfect shot. I’ve tried them twice now, and the display is super clear. Text is sharp and easy to read, and because the display sits off to one side instead of taking over your entire field of view, I can still see everything around me.
Meta neural band The other big part of the experience is the Meta neural band that comes with the glasses. The wristband uses electromyography, or EMG, to detect the electrical signals in your muscles. It basically turns tiny finger movements into controls for the glasses.
You can pinch your thumb and index finger together to select something, for example, or slide your thumb along your finger to scroll. The neural band is cool but it can be hard to remember all the various gestures you need to make (Alex Lee/The Independent) It’s clever, sure, but there’s a really steep learning curve. Throughout my demos, I’ve constantly had to stop and think about which movement I was supposed to make next, and often mixed up which finger I needed to use for which gesture.
It’s also hard to remember all the various gestures. Once you nail them down, however, it’s very good at recognising what gesture you’re performing. Meta Ray-Ban display functions There is a physical capture button on the frame for taking photos and videos, as well as a touchpad on the right arm.
You can swipe and tap on that to navigate the interface, change the volume or activate Meta AI, so you don’t have to use the neural band for absolutely everything. Meta has added even more stuff to the glasses over the past year. You can now watch Instagram Reels and use Threads with the display, and the teleprompter is genius, putting notes or a script directly in front of your eyes.
You can also get widgets for your calendar and the weather. Meta’s Neural Handwriting feature also lets you write with your finger on a surface to reply to messages. Again, it’s very responsive.
They’ll last up to six hours of mixed use on a single charge, and the collapsible charging case extends the battery life to 30 hours. The Meta Ray-Ban display smart glasses cost £749 and come with the Meta neural band. They’re available to buy in the UK now, and for the first time you’ll be able to buy them online as well as in-store.
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Source: The Independent
