Meta launches $299 smart glasses without branded lenses
Meta introduced a new line of $299 smart glasses built with EssilorLuxottica, featuring a camera and speakers but no display, as competition in the wearable market intensifies.
Meta announced Tuesday a new series of smart glasses priced at $299, roughly $80 less than its earlier second-generation Ray-Ban model. The devices are produced in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, but they carry no Ray-Ban or Oakley branding.
The glasses lack a built-in screen but include a camera, personal speakers and voice-activated AI functions that can translate or provide contextual information about the wearer’s surroundings, as well as capture photos and video. Meta officials described the lightweight design as a step toward future models that could incorporate lens-embedded displays and greater computing power. The company previously unveiled Ray-Ban Display glasses priced at $799 that feature a built-in display.
Meta and EssilorLuxottica together hold an estimated 80% share of the still-small smart-glasses market, which has sold millions of units since its 2021 debut. Competition is increasing, with Google developing AI-enabled eyewear with Warby Parker and Snap launching $2,195 Specs glasses positioned as a smartphone successor.
The new Meta glasses are offered in three designs and are accompanied by a charging stand.
