Meta Ray-Ban Display: EU rules slow down market launch

The international market launch of the Meta Ray-Ban Display is apparently also being complicated by EU regulations on batteries and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), reports Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter.

From February 18, 2027, batteries in many devices in the EU must be removable and replaceable by the user. This also includes small lithium-based batteries, for example, in wearables. The Battery Regulation aims to facilitate repairs and improve battery recycling, among other things.

At the same time, it presents manufacturers with challenges in accommodating the technology in a confined space, as is the case with smart glasses. A replaceable battery can lead to compromises in weight, ergonomics, energy efficiency, and heat development. Criteria that are particularly crucial in this device category.

Meta seeks exemption for smart glasses

According to Bloomberg, Meta is in talks with the EU and is seeking an exemption for smart glasses, which should affect both its devices and those of other manufacturers. Meta argues that the battery regulation will impact wearables such as glasses, watches, earbuds, and pins. Bloomberg refers to a statement by US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder, who is said to have stated this week that the glasses will not be available in the EU.

In addition to the new EU rules on batteries, the Union's AI regulations are also apparently causing problems for Meta. According to the report, EU regulations will restrict some glasses' AI functions. It is unattractive for Meta executives to launch the glasses in the EU without full functionality, it is said. Meta markets its smart glasses as “AI glasses.”

Other tech giants likely affected as well

Meta's first smart glasses with a display were launched in the USA in September 2025 and were originally scheduled to be released in Great Britain, France, Italy, and Canada in early 2026. In January, Meta abandoned these plans, citing severely limited quantities with simultaneously high demand, and stated that it would initially focus on meeting demand in the USA. The supply bottlenecks are likely due to the novel waveguide display, which is extremely complex to manufacture. According to Bloomberg's source, Meta continues to struggle with corresponding bottlenecks.

Meta and its eyewear partner EssilorLuxottica are market leaders and have sold around ten million smart glasses since October 2023. Whether other existing products in the portfolio, all of which are available in the EU, will also be affected by the regulations on batteries and AI is not clear from the report. Google and Apple, which are also developing smart glasses, are likely to face the same difficulties.

(olb)