Meta has just refreshed its smart glasses lineup, and this year’s Connect announcements felt bigger than usual. Instead of one or two tweaks, we now have a proper family of devices — each serving a slightly different purpose, but all pointing to accessibility as a core value.
The Updated Meta Ray-Bans
First up, the original Ray-Ban smart glasses have had a proper upgrade. Battery life has been extended, and the onboard camera now captures sharper, cleaner photos. Those two changes alone make them more practical for everyday use, especially if you’re snapping quick shots on the go or using the camera to share your perspective with others.
Oakley Meta Vanguard for Sport
Meta has also partnered with Oakley to create the Vanguard, a sport-focused model designed for outdoor activity. With a tougher frame, sweat resistance, and direct integration with platforms like Strava and Garmin, these are aimed squarely at runners and cyclists. For once, smart glasses aren’t just about looking fashionable at a café — they’re built for training sessions and long miles on the road.
Meta Oakley HSTN
Alongside the Vanguard, Meta also showed off the Oakley HSTN. These lean into lifestyle design rather than sport, offering a more casual look while keeping the same core features as the rest of the range. Crucially, they also benefit from Be My Eyes integration, which has already made them popular in the blind and low-vision community.
Ray-Ban Display and Neuroband
The most futuristic announcement was the introduction of the Ray-Ban Display glasses alongside the Neuroband. The glasses themselves feature a minimal built-in display, letting you glance at notifications or simple information without pulling out your phone. The Neuroband takes this further by detecting neural signals, so you can control the glasses with subtle finger twitches.
For users with mobility challenges, this is significant. You no longer need big gestures or fiddly button presses — small, discreet movements are enough to operate the device. It’s an interaction method that has been designed from the beginning with accessibility in mind.
Accessibility Included from the Start
Where things get exciting for the blind and low-vision community is that the Ray-Ban Display glasses include a built-in screen reader. That means the display isn’t just for sighted users — text and menus can be spoken aloud directly through the glasses. On top of that, the vision accessibility suite provides magnification and customisable controls for those with partial sight. Accessibility isn’t an afterthought here, it has been included from the very start.
Be My Eyes Integration
Accessibility isn’t just a tick-box feature. Be My Eyes integration has already made the Meta Ray-Ban and Meta Oakley HSTN models a staple in the blind community. Being able to share your perspective directly through the glasses and get real-time support from a volunteer — without juggling your phone — is the kind of everyday independence that matters.
Opening the Platform
Building on that success, Meta is now releasing a development kit for third-party developers. This promises a wave of new integrations — and Microsoft has already confirmed that its Seeing AI app will be among the first to support the glasses. That’s a big deal: Seeing AI is widely used by blind and low-vision people to read text, recognise objects, and describe surroundings. With direct integration into the glasses, tasks like scanning a menu or identifying a product label could become seamless.
Why This Matters
Be My Eyes and Seeing AI are popular because they unlock independence. They give people the ability to navigate the world on their own terms, whether that’s reading a receipt at the checkout or identifying a bus stop. Having that functionality built directly into smart glasses turns them from a novelty into an everyday tool.
Verdict
Meta’s latest glasses lineup feels like a turning point. We’ve got a refreshed Ray-Ban model for daily life, the Oakley Vanguard for athletes, the Oakley HSTN for lifestyle, and the Ray-Ban Display with Neuroband offering new ways to see and interact. For once, accessibility isn’t buried in the feature list — it’s included from the beginning.
If you’re blind, low vision, or living with mobility challenges, these glasses might not just be interesting tech. They could be a must-have tool for independence. And with developers like Microsoft already on board, the possibilities are only going to grow.
Sources and further reading
Meta Opens Up Smart Glasses to Developers, Accessibility at the Forefront - Double Tap
Meta is setting a precedent in wearable tech. The built-in screen reader and magnification tools mean that blind and low-vision users won’t be left waiting for third-party solutions. Instead, accessibility is being treated as a core feature from day one—a welcome change, and one that could influence the entire smart glasses industry.
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