Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms (META), is reportedly planning to integrate displays into its Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses next year as part of its effort to accelerate the rollout of smart glasses. Meta’s shares saw a rise in Monday trading following the news.
According to the Financial Times, Meta might release an updated version of its $299 Ray-Ban glasses in the second half of 2025. The new version is expected to feature a small display capable of showing notifications and responses from Meta’s AI assistant. The report cited unnamed sources and noted that Meta has not yet responded to a request for further comment.
Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: A Surprising Success for Meta
Launched in 2021, Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have proven to be an unexpected hit, especially considering the company’s losses in its metaverse ventures. Recently, Meta extended its partnership with Ray-Ban manufacturer EssilorLuxottica.
In the long term, CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions smart glasses as the next major computing platform. Meta has invested billions of dollars in developing augmented-reality (AR) glasses that aim to integrate AI and other advanced capabilities into the wearer’s field of view.
Accelerating Efforts for AR Glasses
The FT report also mentioned that Meta is speeding up its efforts to develop its Orion AR glasses. In September, Zuckerberg unveiled a prototype of Orion, comparing it to a time machine. These glasses can project virtual objects within the frame, enabling features like video calls, notifications, and other computing functionalities.
However, Orion glasses are still in the prototype stage for developers, with consumer-ready products likely years away. Zuckerberg echoed this sentiment during the September unveiling.
In the meantime, Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses already allow users to take photos and record videos. They also let users play music through built-in speakers, use microphones, and interact with Meta’s AI assistant. Earlier this month, Meta introduced new AI capabilities, including live translation, as part of a product update.
In a blog post last week, Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, stated that the “next big step” toward the metaverse as envisioned by the company’s Reality Labs division involves combining AI glasses with AR experiences. Bosworth noted that glasses are proving to be the most suitable hardware for integrating AI capabilities.
“You see phone and PC makers struggling to redesign their products to put AI assistants at their core,” Bosworth wrote. “But I believe there’s a much bigger opportunity in creating devices that are AI-native from the start, and I’m confident that glasses will be the first to get there.”
Meta Stock Gains Support Amid Market Fluctuations
On Monday, Meta stock rose 2.5%, closing at $599.85. This rebound came after four consecutive days of declines last week, during which the stock fell a total of 5.6%, dipping below the flat base buy point of $602.95.
Despite the pullback, Meta shares found support at the 50-day moving average. Earlier this month, Meta stock broke out of a flat base chart pattern on December 3 and reached a record high of $638.40 on December 11.
So far this year, Meta stock has gained an impressive 69%. According to IBD Stock Checkup, the social media giant holds an IBD Composite Rating of 97 out of 99, ranking as the third-highest-rated stock among 69 members in the internet content group tracked by IBD.
