For years, Mark Zuckerberg pursued his metaverse obsession like a billionaire’s fever dream. He poured billions into bulky headsets and promoted virtual avatars with no legs, all for a futuristic vision that failed to materialise.
But at this week’s Meta Connect 2025 in Menlo Park, Meta changed its tone. The event moved past sci-fi prototypes and vague promises, focusing instead on something simpler: smart glasses you can buy, wear, and integrate into your daily life.
Zuckerberg described the event as “entirely glasses-focused,” and the product lineup proved it. Meta unveiled three new devices that signal a clear strategy:
- The entry-level Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2
- The sport-focused Oakley Meta Vanguard
- The flagship Ray-Ban Display, which pairs with the new Neural Band, a bracelet that controls the glasses with a finger twitch.
This is a new chapter for the company. Meta is no longer a company that chases hype; it’s a company strategically building trust, one frame at a time.
Why Smart Glasses Are Meta’s New Focus
Meta now understands what its competitors only glimpsed: people want unobtrusive technology (also known as calm or ambient computing), not a computer strapped to their face. This realisation drives the company’s deep collaboration with trusted brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. The strategy is to integrate AI into a form factor so familiar that you forget the technology is even there.
Meta’s pricing also shows it is committed to a long-term vision. The $379 Gen 2 is priced to attract a wide audience. The $499 Oakley Vanguard appeals to the high-performance market, while the $799 Ray-Ban Display acts as a bridge from current AI helpers to true augmented reality.
The Ultimate Goal: An Integrated Ecosystem
The hardware is just the visible part of the plan. Meta also launched Horizon TV and the Horizon Engine, its own game engine, to reduce its reliance on third-party platforms. These software initiatives are the essential building blocks for a future where Meta owns the entire user experience.
Ultimately, the company is laying the groundwork for its own version of Apple’s walled garden. In this ecosystem, glasses and headsets will replace phones and computers, with AI serving as the connective tissue.
Is This a Turning Point or Just Another Bet?
Skeptics will argue that Meta is merely repackaging its metaverse dream into smaller frames, and their caution is understandable. The history of wearable tech is filled with failed experiments that never moved beyond the novelty phase. This time, however, Meta is demonstrating restraint. The new glasses don’t promise to replace your phone; they promise to make the phone in your pocket more useful.
This represents a crucial shift in strategy, moving from the grand ambition of “reinventing reality” to the practical goal of “augmenting the everyday,” which might be the company’s most strategic move to date.
Conclusion: A Strategy Focused on Credibility
Meta Connect 2025 was not about showcasing spectacular demos or a holographic future; its core purpose was to build credibility. By releasing tangible products that people can actually buy and wear, on a run, at a café, or in a boardroom, Meta aims to transform years of public skepticism into genuine interest.
For the first time, the company is not solely investing in a distant metaverse. It is investing in an accessory that millions of people already depend on daily: their glasses.
