Meta’s latest Ray-Ban Smart Glasses have drawn attention for integrating a built-in display directly into the wearer’s field of vision, offering functions such as message viewing, AI chatbot responses, and real-world navigation. However, a recent teardown by repair specialists iFixit suggests that the device’s sleek design comes at the cost of repairability.
According to iFixit, the internal components of the glasses are tightly sealed within a glued plastic casing, making disassembly challenging and battery replacement risky. “Repairs are practically impossible,” iFixit noted in its report, adding that while the 960 mWh battery could theoretically be replaced, the process risks damaging the frame.
Each arm of the glasses serves a different function: one side houses the battery, a speaker, and a microphone, while the other contains the motherboard. The main board includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 ARM chip and 32GB of flash storage. The frame itself cannot be opened without likely causing permanent damage, making replacement of key components such as the camera or display nearly unfeasible without specialized tools and training.
The teardown also provided a closer look at the augmented reality (AR) display system. The glasses use a miniature projector with a 600 x 600 resolution, located in the right arm. Three LEDs act as the light source, projecting images through a lens equipped with semi-transparent mirrors that reflect the visuals directly into the user’s vision while remaining invisible from the outside.
While Meta’s design highlights an ambitious step toward integrating display technology into everyday eyewear, the iFixit findings indicate a clear trade-off between innovation and repairability.
Source: Meta