Meta delays Ray-Ban smart glasses launch in EU

Meta has not launched its Ray-Ban smart glasses in the European Union due to limited supply and concerns over EU rules covering batteries and some AI features.

The glasses are currently sold only in the US, and Meta previously said that inventory was “extremely limited” as it focused on filling US orders.

Meta is discussing the EU’s battery law, which will require devices sold in the region to include removable batteries by 2027, and is seeking a carve-out for smart glasses, while AI-related rules could also limit features on the product.

The issue drew attention after US official to the EU Andrew Puzder said that the glasses cannot be sold in the bloc because the battery is not removable, and EssilorLuxottica, Meta’s Ray-Ban partner, declined to comment.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

The EU delay links to demand and other factors

Supply limits matter, though demand sets the pace for how fast shipments can ramp up.
Meta and its partner EssilorLuxottica sold over seven million smart glasses in 2025, up from two million sold across 2023 and 2024 combined 1.
EssilorLuxottica credited this jump for more than a third of its growth in Q3 2025, which has tightened capacity for the waveguide display (an optical component that guides light to form images in a thin lens) in the new model 2, 3.
The EU’s batteries regulation requires that from 18 February 2027 portable batteries in devices sold on the EU market be “readily” removable and replaceable by consumers with basic tools, while the European Commission reviews exemption requests with decisions expected by autumn 2025 and any exemptions applied via secondary legislation by early 2026 4.

Meta’s battery question may foreshadow wearables trade-offs

Rivals are moving in the same space, since Google plans work with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster on smart glasses and Apple is planning smart glasses with a 2027 launch according to reports 3.
Teams may need to choose between EU-only versions that raise design, manufacturing, or certification costs, or one global build that has to juggle regional rules and may affect form factor (the product’s size and shape) plus durability 4.
Rules can run into expectations for wearable products such as lightweight and durable designs, though the cited academic smart-glasses paper focuses on sustainable design methods and does not tie specific consumer demands directly to the EU regulation 5.
Consumer-accessible battery swaps can push against compact sealed builds used for waterproofing, thermal management (how a device manages heat), and structural durability, which creates friction between sustainability goals and some product innovation paths 4.