Meta Halts Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Rollout Over Soaring Demand, Inventory Challenges
In Focus
- Meta says it will prioritize delivery of U.S. smart glasses orders
- The company planned to avail Ray-Ban glasses to other markets this year
- Meta is adding new features to the smart glasses, including a teleprompter
Meta is delaying the global rollout of the Ray-Ban smart glasses. According to Reuters, the delay is due to supply shortage and high demand for the glasses in the United States. Meta made the announcements on January 6, 2025, at the CES 2026 event in Las Vegas.
Overwhelming Demand in the U.S.
While announcing the Ray-Ban smart glasses rollout delay, Meta said the glasses had proved to be very popular in the U.S. and that it was struggling to keep up with demand due to limited supply.
“Meta Ray-Ban Display is a first-of-its-kind product with extremely limited inventory. Since launching last fall, we’ve seen an overwhelming amount of interest, and as a result, product waitlists now extend well into 2026,” the company stated in a statement posted on its website.
Initially, the social media giant planned to introduce the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses to markets outside the U.S. this year. But, this will have to wait as the company reviews its plan for making the smart glasses available globally.
“We’ve decided to pause our planned international expansion to the UK, France, Italy, and Canada. We’ll continue to focus on fulfilling orders in the U.S. while we re-evaluate our approach to international availability,” the company added.
New Features Coming to the Ray-Ban Glasses
Besides the smart glasses rollout delay, Meta’s wearable tech announcement included a range of new Ray-Ban features and the Neural Band wrist device. The most notable addition is the teleprompter that allows users to read notes and scroll content using the wristband.
“We’ll start a phased rollout of a new teleprompter feature that gives you a portable, flexible, and always-with-you way to deliver prepared remarks in personal and professional settings,” the social media giant stated on its website.
Meta also announced that it is taking the pedestrian navigation features to four new cities, bringing the total coverage to 32. The new cities are Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Portland. The new features come months after Amazon unveiled a prototype of its smart delivery glasses for drivers. The glasses eliminate the need for drivers to keep checking phones and surroundings.
Meta’s Strategic Investment in EssilorLuxottica
The U.S. social media giant has partnered with EssilorLuxottica to develop the smart glasses.
Last year, Meta invested $3.5 Billion in the eyewear giant for a 3% stake, with plans to grow its share to 5%.
The French-Italian firm first partnered with Meta in 2019 in a collaboration that led to the production of two versions of the smart glasses. EssilorLuxottica is boosting its production capacity to manufacture up to 10 million units annually as it seeks to leverage the smart glasses boom. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses allow users to take photos, interact with an AI assistant, and stream content.
