Meta Ray-Ban Display getting feature updates including holographic avatar support

The smart glasses are also arriving in five new markets this fall.

Karissa Bell for Engadget

Today's Meta Connect 2026 conference shared a lot of news about the company's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which were introduced at the same event last year. 

One of the notable changes coming to the device is support for a holographic avatar while taking calls. Since calls via smart glasses mean the wearer's face isn't visible to whomever they're chatting with, this feature uses the Meta AI app to create a photorealistic hologram to display instead. According to the press release, "Your hologram is driven entirely by your voice, and the hologram model infers your expression from what you're saying and how you're saying it." The Hologram feature will initially be available in early access later this fall for WhatsApp users in the US.

The glasses' heads-up navigation tools have also been expanded, allowing a wearer to ask for cycling or public transit directions with a voice command. Users in the US and Canada will be the first to have this feature, rolling out later this month. Additionally, the navigation directions can now be based on the world around the person rather than solely relying on street signs for a more conversational experience. For example, you might be directed to "turn left at the yellow house" rather than to "turn left on Third Street."

When Karissa Bell reviewed the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses last year, one of the top issues she had with the Display was a lack of available apps. A new Explore app is coming to both the smart glasses and the Meta AI app that will help users to browse available programs that do work on the set.

The other features announced today include some incremental improvements to the user experience, such as bringing Dolby Atmos audio to its capture and playback tools, photo editing within the Display screen, a more detailed calendar, mirrored phone notifications and Threads for Community Feeds.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display is coming to five new markets: the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Germany. The glasses will be available to order online in those regions, as well as in the US. Display is available starting today in the UK starting at £749 and in Canada starting at CA$1,149. Pre-orders will begin today for the other three new markets for a base price of €899 before Display becomes available on October 13.