Meta is hitting pause on the global rollout of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, not because of weak interest, but the opposite.
The company confirmed this week that it has delayed plans to launch the glasses outside the U.S., citing “unprecedented demand and limited supply.” Meta had originally planned to expand availability to France, Italy, Canada, and the U.K. in early 2026, but growing waitlists have pushed those plans back.
“Since launching last fall, we’ve seen an overwhelming amount of interest, and as a result, product waitlists now extend well into 2026,” Meta said in a statement.
“Because of this unprecedented demand and limited inventory, we’ve decided to pause our planned international expansion.”
For now, Meta says its priority is fulfilling U.S. orders while it reassesses how and when to bring the glasses to international markets.
Unveiled last September, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses represent a more ambitious step beyond Meta’s earlier smart eyewear experiments. Unlike the camera-first Ray-Ban Stories, these glasses introduce gesture-based control via a companion device called the Meta Neural Band, a wristband that detects subtle hand and finger movements.
Instead of tapping frames or relying entirely on voice, users interact with the system through micro-gestures, pointing to a future where wearables fade further into the background.
New features previewed at CES
At CES in Las Vegas this week, Meta showcased several upcoming features that hint at how it envisions the glasses fitting into everyday life:
- Teleprompter mode: A built-in teleprompter allows users to deliver prepared remarks while maintaining eye contact, a clear play for creators, speakers, and professionals.
- Surface writing: Users can now write messages by tracing letters with their finger on any surface, with movements captured by the Neural Band and converted into digital text.
- Expanded pedestrian navigation: Turn-by-turn walking directions are rolling out to Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, and Salt Lake City, pushing the glasses further into practical, daily utility.
Meta’s decision to delay international expansion underscores a broader reality in emerging hardware: supply constraints are becoming as strategic as software features. In an era where AI-powered wearables are racing from concept to culture, Meta appears content to slow the rollout rather than risk under-delivering. For now, the Ray-Ban Display glasses remain a U.S.-first product, but if demand continues to outpace supply, their eventual global launch may arrive with even more momentum.
