Meta says it is pausing international plans for its new Ray-Ban smart glasses with a built-in display, after demand far exceeded expectations, according to an update shared today at CES 2026.
The company said the Meta Ray-Ban Display launched last fall with very limited supply and quickly drew heavy interest. As a result, waitlists for the product now stretch well into 2026.
Because of the long backlog and tight inventory, Meta confirmed it will no longer move ahead with its planned early-2026 rollout to the UK, France, Italy, and Canada. The glasses were originally expected to expand internationally next year.
Instead, Meta says it will focus on fulfilling U.S. orders first while it rethinks how and when the product could launch in other countries.
Meta unveiled the Ray-Ban Display at Meta Connect 2025 in September, introducing the AI smart glasses with a built-in full-colour display and a new Neural Band wrist controller. The display appears only when needed for things like messages, navigation, translations, and photos, while the wristband uses subtle muscle movements to control the glasses hands-free.
The glasses pack cameras, speakers, microphones, and Meta AI into Ray-Ban frames, offering real-time captions, translations, navigation, and media controls. They launched in the U.S. on September 30 for $799 USD, with Canada and several European countries originally planned for early 2026. But as today, that has changed and Canadians will have to wait longer to get these (or find an ‘Amerifriend’).
There is no new timeline for international availability, and Meta did not say when Canada or other markets might get access.
But the original first-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses are still available, and have been discounted by 25% off (save $103), down to $306. You can click here to buy them on Amazon.ca.
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