If you find yourself constantly drawn to your smartphone screen, Meta believes it has the solution — smart glasses.
At the recent Meta Connect 2025 conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “I think we’ve become somewhat lost in our phones, and glasses will give us a chance to come back to life.” His vision is clear: Meta wants its hardware to replace smartphones.
The company is betting on its Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which it hopes will eventually end the smartphone era. These glasses come equipped with an AI assistant, cameras, speakers, and microphones, and feature a display that allows users to access Meta apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. They can also be used for navigation, live translation, and real-time communication.
The smart glasses work in tandem with the Meta Neural Band, a device using surface electromyography to detect signals from the brain and hands. This enables users to perform tasks like composing and sending text messages simply by moving their fingers as if holding a pen. Zuckerberg claims this system allows typing at about 30 words per minute, close to the 36 words per minute average on touchscreens.
Unlike voice-controlled devices, the Ray-Ban Display’s technology also supports text input without voice commands, making it more versatile and discreet.
Meta has invested heavily in neural interface technology since 2021 and has also developed prototype AR glasses called Orion. Much like Apple and Google, Meta is preparing for a future where smart glasses could replace smartphones.
In July 2024, Zuckerberg predicted that AI-powered smart glasses would become mainstream, with millions — if not billions — of people using them at different price points. He also expressed a vision for future models that could enable holographic displays, integrate camera sensors for capturing photos and videos, support Instagram live streaming, and allow WhatsApp video calls directly from the glasses.
Whether smart glasses will truly mark the end of smartphones remains uncertain, but Zuckerberg is convinced they represent the next big trend in personal technology.
