Meta Ray-Ban Display: EU Launch Blocked by Battery Rules and AI Regulations
Meta’s new smart glasses won’t be coming to Europe anytime soon. The Meta Ray-Ban Display, on sale in the US since September 2025, is running into EU regulations on batteries and artificial intelligence — on top of ongoing supply shortages. According to Bloomberg, the US company is in talks with the EU seeking an exemption for wearables, so far without success. Meta has put its originally planned January 2026 expansion into the UK, France, Italy, and Canada on hold.
From 18 February 2027, batteries in many devices sold within the EU must be user-removable and replaceable — including small lithium-based batteries in wearables such as smart glasses, smartwatches, and earbuds. The EU Battery Regulation is designed to make repairs easier and improve recycling, but it poses massive challenges for manufacturers.
A replaceable battery takes up additional space and forces compromises on weight, ergonomics, and energy efficiency — critical factors for smart glasses. Meta is pushing for an exemption that would cover not just its own products but smart glasses from all manufacturers.
Restricted AI Features
The glasses’ AI capabilities also clash with EU requirements. Meta markets the Ray-Ban Display as an AI glasses product — the AI features are a core part of the offering. EU regulations, however, restrict some of these functions. For Meta executives, launching the glasses in Europe without their full feature set is unattractive. The situation echoes Apple’s experience: the iPhone maker had to delay the rollout of its Apple Intelligence platform in the EU by several months in order to comply with local laws.
Waveguide Display and Supply Chain Issues
Beyond regulatory hurdles, Meta continues to battle supply shortages. The Ray-Ban Display’s novel waveguide display is complex to manufacture — a technology that projects images directly into the field of view without using conventional screens. Production capacity is insufficient to meet high demand. Meta and partner EssilorLuxottica have discussed doubling production capacity in 2026, but for now the company is focused on working through US orders. EssilorLuxottica’s stock has lost 28 percent so far in 2026, while Meta shares are down 10 percent.
Wearables Market Under Pressure — Google and Apple Affected Too
Meta is not alone with these problems. Google and Apple are also developing smart glasses and are likely to face the same EU hurdles. The Battery Regulation affects the entire wearables category and could slow innovation in this segment. Meta has made AI wearables a central pillar of its costly AI strategy, shifting resources away from the metaverse project toward wearable devices.
Despite the setbacks, Meta has notched up successes: together with EssilorLuxottica, the company has sold around ten million smart glasses since October 2023 and holds the market-leading position in the segment. Alongside the Ray-Ban models, the partners also produce Oakley glasses, and talks with Prada about high-end smart glasses with luxury branding are underway. The European market, however, remains closed for now — a bitter blow to Meta’s wearables ambitions and a warning signal for the entire industry.
