Demo glitches overshadow Meta’s launch of new AI smart glasses

Meta’s big product reveal at its annual Connect event didn’t go quite as planned. CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage on Wednesday to unveil a lineup of new AI-powered smart glasses — but the presentation was marred by several live demo failures that stole the spotlight from the company’s ambitious plans.

Glitches during live demonstrations

During the keynote, Zuckerberg struggled to answer a WhatsApp video call from Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth using the new Neural Band, a wrist-worn controller designed to work with the glasses. The call kept ringing on his display, but the interface never showed an "accept" button. Bosworth eventually walked on stage in person.

Another demo — showing the glasses’ built-in AI assistant helping a chef follow a recipe — also collapsed midstream. The assistant repeatedly stalled and ignored the presenter’s requests, prompting Zuckerberg to blame unstable Wi-Fi. The mishaps served as a reminder that even as the hardware advances, the software behind it is still catching up.

Meta Ray-Ban Display: high-resolution AI glasses

Despite the glitches, Zuckerberg introduced what he called Meta’s first high-resolution AI glasses, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, launching September 30 for $799 in select U.S. stores.

The glasses feature a tiny display embedded in the corner of the right lens, projecting content like messages, maps, and captions into the user’s field of view. A light, fabric Neural Band lets users control the interface with small finger movements — even "handwriting" words in the air to appear on the display. Battery life reaches six hours, with the case adding 30 more, while the wristband lasts 18 hours and is water-resistant.

Two more models: Ray-Ban Gen 2 and Oakley Vanguard

Meta also rolled out:

• Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 ($379) — with double the battery life (8 hours), a 3K video camera, and upcoming support for slow-motion and hyperlapse capture.
• Meta Oakley Vanguard ($499) — sports-focused glasses with nine-hour battery life, bigger speakers, a center-mounted 3K camera, and integration with Strava and Garmin. They’re built for outdoor activity, water- and dust-resistant, and feature control buttons placed for use while wearing a helmet.

Betting on everyday AI

Zuckerberg described smart glasses as "the ideal form factor for personal super intelligence," saying Meta has worked toward this vision for over a decade. Partner company EssilorLuxottica aims to produce 10 million pairs annually by 2026 as competition from Google, Snap, and Samsung intensifies.

Whether the Meta Ray-Ban Display can overcome its rocky debut remains to be seen — but Meta is betting it could finally bring AI glasses into the mainstream.

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