Meta Halts Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Expansion
▼ Summary
– Meta is pausing the international launch of its Ray-Ban Display smart glasses in France, Italy, Canada, and the UK, which was planned for early 2026.
– The delay is due to “unprecedented demand and limited inventory” that has created long waitlists extending into 2026.
– The company will now focus on fulfilling existing orders in the United States while re-evaluating its international availability strategy.
– Meta has not announced a new target date for when the smart glasses will be available in the affected international markets.
– A review from The Verge praised the glasses as the best ever tried, which may compound disappointment for international customers.
Customers outside the United States hoping to purchase Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses will face a significant delay. The company has officially paused its planned expansion into several key international markets, including France, Italy, Canada, and the United Kingdom. This decision stems directly from what Meta describes as “unprecedented demand and limited inventory,” which has created extensive waitlists for the product.
In a recent announcement, Meta explained that the overwhelming interest since the glasses launched last fall has pushed product waitlists well into 2026. Consequently, the company’s immediate strategy is to concentrate entirely on fulfilling existing orders within the U.S. market. Meta has not provided any new timeline for when the international rollout might resume, leaving prospective buyers in those regions without a clear date for availability.
The delay is likely a major letdown for tech enthusiasts abroad, especially given the positive critical reception the device has received. Reviewers have praised the smart glasses, with one notable assessment calling them the best iteration of the product category to date. This pause in expansion highlights the challenges of scaling production for a popular hardware item that blends advanced technology with fashionable design. For now, international customers will simply have to wait as Meta manages its supply constraints and reevaluates its global distribution strategy.
(Source: The Verge)
