The new glasses, priced at $799 and available from September 30, come with a colour heads-up display embedded in the right lens. The display allows users to view apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, while also showing navigation directions and live translations.

Unlike Meta’s experimental Orion prototype, which featured full augmented reality functions and eye tracking but is still years away from release, the Ray-Ban Display glasses opts for a simpler design. The trade-off is intentional, as Meta is prioritising a consumer-ready product over futuristic demonstrations.

The smart glasses are powered by an onboard assistant, fitted with cameras, microphones, and speakers, and connect directly to the cloud for internet and social media use. While the design is bulkier than earlier Ray-Ban Meta glasses, early testers say the fit remains comfortable thanks to ultra-narrow batteries built into the frame.

There is also the Meta Neural Band. Worn on the wrist and similar in appearance to a Fitbit, it enables app navigation through micro hand movements. The device reads subtle signals from the hand using electromyography (EMG) and has up to 18 hours of battery life with water resistance.

For years, Meta has relied on devices made by Apple and Google to reach users. Now pushing its own hardware, Meta aims to establish smart glasses as the next major computing platform. 

The company is betting on displays in eyewear becoming as mainstream as smartphones did two decades ago. But then, there’s still competition. Both Apple and Google are expected to launch their own smart glasses, with tighter integration into their existing ecosystems. 

That leaves Meta in a race against time, hoping that being first to market gives it the edge, even if its product is not yet the most advanced.

Won-joon Choi, chief operating officer of Samsung’s mobile experience division, told CNN that the company is looking into new wearable form factors that blend seamlessly into users’ daily lives while offering utility. 

“We believe it should be wearable, something that you shouldn’t carry, (that) you don’t need to carry. So it could be something that you wear, glasses, earrings, watches, rings, and sometime (a) necklace,” Choi said.

The strategy is both about hardware and a change in how Samsung views the future of personal tech. Devices aren’t simply tools anymore, they are accessories designed to reduce dependency on smartphones.

Samsung is not alone in this direction. Meta, OpenAI, Google, Snap, and others are racing to develop similar hardware. Meta has already sold over 2 million AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses since 2023 and recently bought a stake in Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica, deepening its commitment to smart eyewear. 

Samsung, meanwhile, is collaborating with Google on augmented reality glasses and is reportedly developing an advanced microdisplay, according to Korea Economic Daily.

When asked whether Samsung is actively developing earrings or other wearable tech, Choi said, “We are looking at all kinds of possibilities.” His comments point to the fact that while these ideas are still in early stages, Samsung is serious about redefining the concept of wearables as fashion-integrated tech.

But ambition alone won’t guarantee success. Several tech startups have already tried and failed to deliver smartphone alternatives. Humane’s AI Pin collapsed due to poor performance and high costs, eventually leading the company to shut down and sell assets to HP. 

Rabbit R1 underwhelmed on arrival. Friend, another startup, promised a smart necklace but has delayed its release to later this year.

Samsung, however, seems to be taking a more measured path. Choi clarified that the company isn’t trying to replace smartphones outright. Instead, the upcoming wearables would function as extensions, similar to how its smartwatches currently complement its phones.

That careful positioning may be important. Unlike some devices that try to be everything at once, Samsung’s vision is to offer specific functionality in subtle, wearable form. “We are actively working on glasses, but some people do not want to wear glasses because they change their look,” Choi added. “So we are also exploring other types of devices.”

In short, Samsung wants to meet users where they are, in their routines, on their bodies, and within their fashion choices. Whether it’s a necklace that lets you message someone or earrings that listen and respond, the idea is to make tech invisible but indispensable.