Meta delays global rollout of Ray-Ban Display glasses on strong US demand, supply squeeze
FILE PHOTO: Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses are displayed at the Meta Connect annual event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 24, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo
Jan 6 : Meta said on Tuesday it has decided to pause international expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses due to short supply and strong demand in the United States.
The Facebook-parent had planed to roll out its augmented reality smart glasses Meta Ray-Ban Display in the UK, France, Italy and Canada starting early this year after tasting success with earlier versions.
Meta said it would prioritize fulfilling U.S. orders while it re-evaluates its approach to international availability, citing extremely limited inventory for what it described as a "first-of-its-kind product".
"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 said in a blog post.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses, developed with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban, let wearers take photos, stream content and talk to an AI assistant. The eyewear giant said in October it would accelerate production capacity for its booming smart glasses business.
Meta sold 15,000 units of its Ray-Ban Display glasses in its first quarter of sales and captured 6 per cent market share in the category, said Francisco Jeronimo, VP, Data and Analytics, Devices at IDC EMEA.
The social media giant also announced new features for the glasses and its Meta Neural Band wrist device at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Meta is adding a teleprompter feature in the glasses, allowing consumers to read notes and scroll using the wristband. Meta is also expanding pedestrian navigation to four more cities including Denver, Las Vegas, Portland and Salt Lake City, bringing the total to 32.
