That’s what Meta Connect 2025 is done and dusty, and it was a jam-packed under-hour show filled to the brim with smart glasses galore that we can’t wait to sink our teeth in.
The star of the show was of course the new Meta Ray-Ban screen, which eventually added a screen to the Ray-Ban smart glasses we know and love. We also got to see new Oakley Vanguard-Smarte glasses that look perfect for sports, Gen 2 Ray-Ban smart glasses offering a handful of upgrades over what has come before, and James Cameron spoiled almost the next quest headset before Mark Zuckerberg ran away with diplose.
If you do not set live you are lucky. We have a round-up here for you of the 7 largest messages from the event so you can get up to speed in a short time.
We knew it was coming, but the message is no less exciting. Meta’s Ray-Bans finally comes with a screen that will help you perform more everyday tasks with your glasses, including control of messages, preview your smart glasses’ photos and get around the city with directions on screen.
Although not the first smart glasses with a display we have tried, what is cool about Meta’s specifications is that the screen is in full color, which should make it more useful than the typically monochromatic display glasses we have tested so far (like the Rokid glasses). They boast of a solid battery life to start. Meta promises “Up to six hours of battery life for mixed use” and “Up to 30 hours of battery life in total” if you use the charging case, which is foldable for easier storage while carrying the specifications.
The only downside is that the glasses are noticeable chunky, though we have had a practical time with them, and in our demo we found them no less comfortable than Meta’s previous glasses.
As expected, you also have to pay a higher price for Meta’s display specifications. The glasses start at $ 799 (other regional prices TBC), and they will be launched in the United States on September 30, which will sneak up quickly.
Meta says it will expand accessibility to Canada, France, Italy and the UK in “Early 2026.” Read our first look at Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses here.
If you pick up the Meta Ray-Ban display, you will not only get new glasses, but a new smart band in the form of a meta-neural band.
This EMG bracelet is much like the one we have used with Meta’s Orion Prototype-It is AR-glasses in the development and it allows you to control your glasses using hand movements, which can even be quite subtle movements.
The band apparently depends on “Deep Learning -Agorithms based on data from nearly 200,000 consent researchers”, with Meta adding that this means that almost everyone should be able to use the band out of the box.
You only need the band to control your glasses and it should last you all day with an 18-hour battery life and reasonable IPX7 water assessment-it will survive heavy rain, just don’t forget to take it off until you swim.
3. Gen 2 Ray-Bans also come
Meta did not just give us new Ray-Ban Specifications with a display; It also launched Gen 2 versions of its Ray-Ban glasses, which it calls “the world’s best-selling AI glasses” (based on sales data from July 2025).
In terms of design, they are basically identical to Meta’s existing Ray-Ban smart glasses, but with up to twice as much battery life (now up to eight hours) and higher resolution 3K Ultra HD video recording, they should be a more useful AI accessory.
The Gen 1 Specifications also stay for now, even if they stay on their original price as the Gen 2 glasses start at a higher price of $ 379 / £ 379 / AU $ 599. We are waiting for regional prices for non -standard lenses, but in the US, polarized lenses will put you back $ 409, while transition lenses are $ 459- On our experience with Gen 1 Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
4. Oakley Vanguard will up your sporting game
Not to be Outdone, Meta’s second Essilorluxotica collapse brand, Oakley, gave us a whole new pair of smart glasses in the form of Vanguard, which follows from HSTN Smart Glasses, the duo launched earlier this year.
These athletic shades take on a more visor-like wrapped design that changes the camera from the temple (where it is on Meta’s other specifications) to Glasses’ Center-there sits on the nose bridge.
They depend on Oakley’s Prizm lenses, which are designed to increase the contrast between your vision, so you can more easily see changes in the terrain you are riding or cycling. This should help you be better prepared. You will also find that they come equipped with a few technological upgrades over the HSTN specifications to focus more on being your perfect sporting companion than a fashionable accessory.
First, they boast of Meta’s “most powerful speakers” on its AI glasses yet. They are 6DB taller than the HSTN glasses, which should make it easier to hear what your glasses are saying over the sound of 30 km / h the wind blowing past you as you cycle.
Secondly, you can use the Meta AI app to pair your glasses with compatible Garmin Tech and Strava. Using these integrations you can say something in the direction of “Hey Meta, what is my heartbeat?” Or “Hey Meta, how do I feel?” To gain real -time insight into your fitness to know if you are pushing yourself too hard or at the pace to detect a PB.
Meta has also added an Auto-Capture feature that allows the glasses to automatically catch video when you reach the distance milestones, increase your heartbeat or reach a new height. We can imagine that this is an excellent way to document your next marathon.
5. Meta adds more content options to the quest
While much of the focus on Meta Connect was in the 2025 set of smart glasses, Mark Zuckerberg couldn’t let an entire keynote speaker go by without addressing the quest line with the VR headset. This time the limelight was on entertainment content that went beyond VR games like several Star Wars titles and the upcoming Deadpool VR experience.
Baptized Horizon TV, this will serve as one-stop hub within the Quest headset to detect content, and it brings a larger new service to the platform. Disney+ arrives for easy access to popular TV shows and movies from one of the best streaming services, and Horizon TV adds support to Dolby Vision later this year to attend Dolby Atmos Sound, it already offers to deliver a more immersive entertainment experience.
James Cameron, the world-famous filmmaker, came on stage to hype up Quest’s performance as a home entertainment machine and to announce that an exclusive 3D clip of Avatar: Fire and Ash is available right now in Meta Horizon TV for a limited period.
But what we were interested in far more about was how close he got to spoil Meta’s next VR Headset.
He did not slip very annoying at all, but his comments make us think that while Connect 2025 was the year of smart glasses, Connect 2026 will be all-in on VR again.
We only have 365 days until we find out.
7. Large VR updates are on the horizon
Meta did not completely forgot the VR; Alongside Horizon TV, it also updated its Horizon Studio and debuted Meta Horizon Engine.
Horizon Engine has reportedly been “built from scratch and optimized to help bring Metaverse to life” by providing better graphics and a faster performance. A bold promise for developers who could bring their meta plans close to reality.
As for Meta Horizon Studio, this hub for creators includes a number of AI tools that will soon be utilized by an AI agent, enabling it to sew a whole VR world based on only a few simple text recordings. This is one we will have to test out.
