At Meta’s Connect event on September 17, 2025, CEO Mark Zuckerberg encountered multiple technical glitches during live demonstrations of the company’s new Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses and the Neural Band wristband. The highly anticipated showcase was marred by recipe instructions failing, gesture controls misfiring, and an unanswered video call—all of which Zuckerberg later attributed to Wi-Fi issues.
The first mishap occurred during a cooking segment with creator Jack Mancuso. The smart glasses’ AI assistant was expected to guide him through preparing a Korean-style steak sauce. Instead, the device delivered confused instructions, skipping steps and giving directions out of order. Attempts to redirect the assistant did not work, and the demonstration had to be cut short. Mancuso suggested connectivity issues were to blame before handing the stage back to Zuckerberg.
Later, during a segment highlighting gesture-based controls, Zuckerberg initially showed how the Neural Band wristband could be used to respond to messages successfully. However, when Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth attempted to video call him, the incoming call notification failed to appear on the display. Repeated gesture inputs were not recognized, leaving the call unanswered. Both executives suggested that connectivity problems caused the glitch.
After the event, Meta representatives explained that rehearsals had gone smoothly because they were conducted in less congested environments. The live demo, however, involved far more devices sharing the same network, creating heavy strain on Wi-Fi and leading to dropped or delayed responses.
Despite the setbacks, Meta confirmed that both the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses and the Neural Band wristband are ready for commercial release. The glasses will be priced at $799 and are scheduled to begin shipping in the US by the end of September.
While the demo hiccups drew attention, many observers noted that live technology presentations often face unpredictable issues. Supporters emphasized that the long-term potential of Meta’s wearable devices—particularly AI-powered assistance and gesture-based interaction—could still represent a major step forward in consumer technology.