Meta debuts new, cheaper smart glasses under its own brand
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- Meta Glasses debuted Tuesday at $299 in partnership with EssilorLuxottica but without Ray-Ban or Oakley branding, with the two companies together holding an estimated 80%+ share of the smart glasses market per Counterpoint Research.
- The display-less glasses include a camera, personal speakers, a dedicated Meta AI button, over 8 hours of battery life, and a charging case adding up to 40 additional hours of usage.
- Three frame styles launch: rectangular "Meta Adventurer" in standard and large, the boxier "Meta Fury," and "Meta Glasses by Kylie" — a slim oval designed with American model Kylie Jenner.
- Meta AI on the glasses handles sports scores, local restaurant picks, visual understanding, and will soon support "Pedestrian navigation" for turn-by-turn walking directions.
- Meta is expanding its live translation feature with 14 new languages including Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, and Korean.
- The launch comes one week after Snap unveiled "Specs" consumer smart glasses at $2,195 — roughly seven times the price of Meta's $299 entry point.
Why it matters: The $299 price under Meta's own brand strips away the Ray-Ban/Oakley premium and positions Meta to compete on accessibility just one week after Snap's $2,195 Specs debut. By integrating AI features — translation, navigation, visual understanding — at a consumer-friendly price, Meta leverages its existing 80%+ smart glasses market share with EssilorLuxottica to push mainstream adoption.
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