Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has introduced a new product that he believes could remove the use of smartphones. At the Meta Connect 2025 conference, Zuckerberg unveiled the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses along with a Neural Band wristband that reads signals from the brain to the hand.
The new system enables users to type messages silently using small finger gestures. Zuckerberg demonstrated the feature live on stage, showing that he could type at a speed of nearly 30 words per minute. That number is very close to the average speed of typing on an iPhone, which is around 36 words per minute.
“I’m up to about 30 words a minute on this,” Zuckerberg told the audience. “You can get pretty fast. The promise of glasses is to preserve this sense of presence that you have with other people. I think that we’ve lost it a little bit with phones, and we have the opportunity to get it back with glasses.”
The Neural Band wristband works through a method called surface electromyography (sEMG). It can pick up signals that move between the brain and the hand when someone performs a gesture. With this system, users can type by simply moving their fingers, without speaking out loud or touching a screen.
During the presentation, Zuckerberg showed how he could send a text using only subtle hand movements while wearing the Ray-Ban glasses. The messages appeared on the glasses’ small display screen, which does not block the user’s main view. The audience watched as he quickly typed and sent a message using only the wristband.
This technology solves one of the biggest issues with earlier smart glasses: the need to talk to them in public. For many people, speaking commands into a device is uncomfortable. The Neural Band offers a private and natural alternative.
These new Ray-Ban glasses come with cameras, microphones, speakers, and an AI assistant. They can run Meta apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, while also displaying directions, notifications, and real-time translations. Engineers carefully positioned the small display so it does not interrupt normal vision.
Meta says the glasses are not just a fashion accessory. Companies are developing them as a serious alternative to smartphones. Instead of pulling a phone out of your pocket, you can simply look through your glasses and see what you need.
Meta has invested heavily in this technology. Since 2020, the company has spent more than 70 billion dollars on its Reality Labs division, which has been responsible for both virtual reality and smart glasses. Many investors were concerned about this spending, especially after Meta’s much-hyped metaverse project failed to deliver results. But the new glasses show where much of that money has gone.
Zuckerberg admitted that not all of Meta’s past projects have been successful. “Remember when we said avatars in the metaverse would finally get legs?” he joked, drawing laughter from the crowd. “This time, I think we have something that is much more real and much more useful.”
Zuckerberg also made it clear that Meta’s ambition goes beyond innovation. The company wants to reduce its dependence on Apple and Google’s app stores, which currently take a share of Meta’s profits. By creating its own hardware and ecosystem, Meta hopes to keep more revenue and compete directly with the biggest players.
“The technology needs to get out of the way,” Zuckerberg said. “We want people to connect with each other, not just stare at a screen. If you can’t resist the urge to check your phone while you’re out with friends, now you can check your glasses instead.”
The launch came in when smartphone sales were slowing. Apple’s recent iPhone 17 made headlines for being thinner and adding more cameras, but critics say innovation is slowing in the phone market. Meta sees an opportunity to push smart glasses.
Industry experts say the Neural Band could be the breakthrough that makes smart glasses practical for daily use. By offering a silent, fast, and natural way to type, the device solves problems earlier smart glasses could not.
The real challenge is whether people will accept glasses as a replacement for smartphones. Some consumers may not feel ready to wear a device on their face all day. Others may worry about privacy, cameras, or cost. Still, Meta believes the time is right to try.
“This is not just about gadgets,” Zuckerberg said. “It’s about changing how we connect with each other. Phones have stuck with us for over a decade. Now we have a chance to move forward.”
