Munster: Meta Ray-Ban Display shows promise but faces adoption hurdles

Investing.com -- Gene Munster, cofounder of Deepwater Asset Management, recently shared his experience with Meta’s new AI glasses, finding the technology impressive but noting several barriers to mass adoption.

Munster described the Meta Ray-Ban Display as "the most affordable step toward ambient, wearable AI computing" at $799, approximately 25% of the cost of Vision Pro. The glasses aim to complement rather than replace the real world, which Munster called "a major accomplishment."

The purchase process requires an in-person demo at select retailers including Best Buy, LensCrafters, Ray-Ban, Sunglass Hut, and soon Verizon stores. This mandatory fitting ensures proper sizing of both the glasses and the Neural Band, an essential accessory for functionality.

Meta has hired and trained retail personnel to control the sales experience, with representatives explaining that the demo-first approach helps ensure the Neural Band fits correctly on users’ wrists for proper gesture recognition.

According to Munster, early demand appears modest. He learned during his visit that only stores in California received initial inventory, which sold out immediately. The representative mentioned "a few thousand units" had been sold, with current orders on backorder with no clear delivery date.

Munster was impressed with the technology, finding the display clear, responsive, and well-integrated with the real world. The Neural Band control, while initially feeling foreign, quickly became intuitive during his demo.

Despite technological achievements, Munster identified several adoption hurdles: comfort issues during extended wear, below-average fashion appeal, and the challenge of changing daily behavior to incorporate glasses.

A significant limitation is the current lack of full iPhone integration. While Munster was told the glasses were compatible with iOS, he learned that communication primarily runs through Meta apps like Facebook Messenger rather than native iOS applications like iMessage, which he believes will be addressed in coming weeks.

Munster concluded that Meta is making the right strategic move by investing $20 billion annually into Reality Labs, but cautioned that returns on this investment will take years to materialize.

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