Meta introduces $299 smart glasses without Ray-Ban branding
The new Meta-branded glasses keep EssilorLuxottica involved while lowering the entry price and adding AI features amid privacy scrutiny.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Meta has introduced a lower-priced line of smart glasses that drops the Ray-Ban name, The Verge reported. The new Meta Glasses start at $299, about $80 below the entry price of the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, widening Meta’s push into camera-equipped eyewear at a time when privacy concerns are rising.
The launch marks a shift for a product category Meta has built largely through its partnership with EssilorLuxottica and the Ray-Ban brand. According to The Verge, EssilorLuxottica remains involved: its name appears inside the temples of the new models, and Meta executives said the company helped with design, production and shipping.
Meta’s new lineup includes three styles in seven colors: Meta Fury, Meta Adventurer and Meta Glasses by Kylie, a collaboration tied to Kylie Jenner, The Verge reported. Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of wearables, told The Verge the company wanted a lower-cost pair and did not see an obvious fit among EssilorLuxottica’s less expensive brands.
New frames, familiar hardware
The Verge reported that the internal specifications largely match the recently released Ray-Ban Meta Optics Styles, with somewhat longer battery life. The Adventurer has slimmer rims and comes in standard and large sizes, while the Fury uses a heavier square frame.
The Kylie version has a more distinct early-2000s-inspired look, according to The Verge, and is designed to sit lower on the nose. The model also has a small gem in the upper corner of the left lens and a special case with a mirror.
Meta also added fit changes aimed at prescription wearers. The Verge reported that the glasses have adjustable nose pads with three positions, bendable temple tips and overextension hinges for wider faces. The frames support prescriptions from -12 to +2.25, though prescriptions stronger than -6 require a visit to an optician, according to the report.
Privacy pressure remains
The lower price comes as Meta faces questions about smart glasses that can record video and use AI. The New York Times and Wired have reported that Meta is working on facial recognition capabilities for its smart glasses, according to The Verge.
Himel told The Verge that Meta has seen more misuse as its glasses have become more popular, including attempts to tamper with the products. He said privacy-related updates are coming soon, but did not describe them.
Himel also told The Verge that Meta wants more consistent rules for smart glasses across public spaces and jurisdictions. The Verge noted that restrictions are already emerging, citing moves involving Philadelphia courts, Royal Caribbean and a smart-glasses driving ban in Illinois.
AI features expand
The new glasses will ship with Muse Spark, the first model from Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, The Verge reported. Meta also plans to bring it to older Ray-Ban and Oakley glasses in the United States and Canada through a software update.
Meta said its AI assistant should feel less rigid and respond more naturally, according to The Verge. The update adds support for 14 more languages, including Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi and Korean.
The Verge also reported that pedestrian turn-by-turn directions are coming to Meta’s displayless glasses. A dynamic photo feature, due later this month, will take multiple frames automatically and recommend the best shot.
In demonstrations described by The Verge, live Mandarin translation worked with some delay in a busy room, while Meta AI offered more contextual shopping-style suggestions than earlier versions. The report said the glasses appear stronger as hardware than as an answer to the broader concerns around cameras, AI and public comfort.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.