Since 2021, Meta has been marketing smart glasses under the Ray-Ban brand owned by EssilorLuxottica. A winning bet: the Franco-Italian group revealed at the beginning of the year that it had sold 2 million pairs since the launch of the second generation in 2023.
Muscle and glamour for Meta's smart glasses
By the end of 2026, the manufacturer will produce 10 million pairs per year. This optimism is based on the lead taken by Meta and its software, enhanced by Meta AI's artificial intelligence, which gives the glasses some interesting new features.
Meta will unveil this Friday, June 20th "the next evolution" of its connected glasses, this time with Oakley - a brand for which EssilorLuxottica owns the license, so we're staying in the family. This frame should adopt the "Sphaera" design popular with cyclists, with the photo sensor in the center of the frame and not on the sides. The price of this new pair should be around $360, according to CNBC, a few dozen dollars more than the Ray-Ban versions.
This increase is explained by the fact that Oakley glasses are more resistant to weather conditions. Meta and EssilorLuxottica renewed their partnership last September, which allows Meta to expand its horizons to other brands. And why not Prada? Prada-branded smart glasses are also reportedly in the works.
By the end of the year, Meta could also unveil the 3rd generation of Ray-Ban glasses, whose main innovation would be none other than the presence of a screen in one of the lenses. We're not talking about augmented reality here, but a way to inform the user of a notification or to view the latest photos taken by the glasses.
Despite its leading position in the smart glasses market, Meta must avoid resting on its laurels. The competition is indeed providing its weapons, like Google, which is working with Warby Parker on frames integrating Gemini's AI. Snap is also in the running with the future Specs announced a few days ago, not forgetting Apple which could launch before the end of next year.
Source: CNBC
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