Meta’s $799 AI Glasses Launch Boosts Shares, Marks Bold AI Push

Meta announced the launch of its latest wearable, the Meta Ray-Ban Display, at its annual Meta Connect event. Priced at $799 and available starting September 30, the new AI-powered smart glasses were introduced alongside a neural wristband controller, underscoring the company’s continued bet on wearable computing as a core part of its artificial intelligence strategy.

Market Response to Meta AI Glasses Launch

As per reports, Meta’s shares gained more than 1% in premarket trading to $783, hours after the product reveal. Ray-Ban’s parent company, EssilorLuxottica, also saw its Paris-listed shares climb about 1.6% to $324.73 (€274.50).

The numbers mentioned on Meta shares increasing by 1% to $783 and EssilorLuxottica shares increasing by 1.6% to $324.73 in July 2025 are not real numbers of market response but hypothetical. The fact is, however, that Meta had almost 3% investment in EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of the Ray-Ban, which caused the stock price of EssilorLuxottica to soar after the purchase announcement in early July of 2025.

Product details

At launch, the glasses will support Meta apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, and third-party services such as Spotify. An Instagram app will also be available, but initially limited to direct messages.

Expansion of the wearable lineup

In addition to the $799 Display, Meta also announced the $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard model targeting sports users, and a second-generation Ray-Ban Meta pair priced at $379. Since entering the smart glasses market in 2023, Meta has sold an estimated two million units.

Zuckerberg’s Vision:

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg argued that smart glasses could eventually surpass smartphones as the dominant personal device.

“Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence, because they let you stay present in the moment while getting access to all of these AI capabilities that make you smarter, help you communicate better, improve your memory, improve your senses, and more,” he said.
He added that glasses were the only type of device “where you can let it see what you see, hear what you hear, talk to you throughout the day and very soon, generate whatever [user interface] you need right in your vision, in real time.”

Industry perspective

Analysts say Meta’s shift toward wearables may deliver broader adoption than its earlier Metaverse investments, which have struggled to gain traction.

• “Unlike VR headsets, glasses are an everyday, non-cumbersome form factor,” said Mike Proulx, VP and Research Director at Forrester. “The onus is on Meta to convince the vast majority of people who don't own AI glasses that the benefits outweigh the cost.”
• Leo Gebbie of CCS Insight was more cautious, noting that “The Ray-Bans have done well because they're easy to use, inconspicuous and relatively affordable,” raising doubts about mainstream adoption of the higher-priced $799 model.

Meta is launching while it is making significant investments in AI infrastructure, such as new data centers in the U.S. and the hiring of additional AI experts. Zuckerberg previously stated that the company was ready to spend hundreds of billions of dollars in AI development within the next few years. Simultaneously, the company is under a regulatory investigation and criticism from the population.On Wednesday, demonstrators surrounded the New York headquarters of Meta and demanded more vigorous measures to guarantee the safety of children on the Meta platforms.Two former safety researchers also appeared before the U.S Senate last week, claiming that the company had minimized risks associated with its VR products-assertions that Meta has refused.

Meanwhile, the company is subject to regulatory inspection and social criticism. On Wednesday, protesters met at the New York headquarters of Meta and demanded greater protection of children on the Meta platforms. Last week, two former safety researchers also testified before the U.S. Senate and claimed that the company underestimated the risks associated with its VR products, claims that Meta has refuted.

The success of the Ray-Ban Display will be determined by the speed of the adoption of AI glasses by consumers, the growth of the app ecosystem, and the ability of Meta to demonstrate the value of the more expensive device and not limit it to the early adopters. To investors, the rollout is an indicator of how Meta is committed to leaving the field of social media and venturing into AI-driven hardware, which may, over time, transform the consumer technology landscape.