Meta has paused the international launch of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses to focus on meeting high demand in the United States, where supply shortages have pushed wait times well into 2026.
The company had planned to begin sales in the UK, France, Italy, and Canada early this year, following strong performance of prior Ray-Ban Meta models. Instead, Meta will prioritize U.S. orders while reassessing its strategy for overseas markets.
In a statement, Meta cited “extremely limited inventory” for the product, which it described as a first-generation device with built-in displays. Demand has exceeded expectations since the glasses launched last fall, resulting in extended backlogs.
The Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica (ESLX.PA), allow users to capture photos and video, stream content, and interact with Meta’s AI assistant through voice commands. EssilorLuxottica reported in October that it was increasing production capacity to support growth in the smart glasses segment.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, Meta introduced new software features for the glasses and its companion Meta Neural Band wrist controller:
The delay highlights continued supply constraints in the augmented-reality hardware market and sustained U.S. consumer interest in Meta’s wearable devices. Investors will monitor whether expanded production from EssilorLuxottica can close the supply gap in coming quarters.
The company had planned to begin sales in the UK, France, Italy, and Canada early this year, following strong performance of prior Ray-Ban Meta models. Instead, Meta will prioritize U.S. orders while reassessing its strategy for overseas markets.
In a statement, Meta cited “extremely limited inventory” for the product, which it described as a first-generation device with built-in displays. Demand has exceeded expectations since the glasses launched last fall, resulting in extended backlogs.
The Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica (ESLX.PA), allow users to capture photos and video, stream content, and interact with Meta’s AI assistant through voice commands. EssilorLuxottica reported in October that it was increasing production capacity to support growth in the smart glasses segment.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, Meta introduced new software features for the glasses and its companion Meta Neural Band wrist controller:
- A teleprompter function that displays notes in the wearer’s field of view, controllable via the wristband.
- Expansion of real-time pedestrian navigation to four additional U.S. cities (Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, and Salt Lake City), bringing the total to 32 cities.
The delay highlights continued supply constraints in the augmented-reality hardware market and sustained U.S. consumer interest in Meta’s wearable devices. Investors will monitor whether expanded production from EssilorLuxottica can close the supply gap in coming quarters.