Meta Launches New Smart Glasses Priced at $299
Quick Look
- Meta has announced new smart glasses priced at $299, undercutting its previous models.
- The glasses, developed with Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica, feature a camera and speakers, and can interact with Meta's AI for translation and image capture, signaling Meta's continued push into wearables and AI hardware.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Meta is increasing its focus on wearables and AI hardware, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeing smart glasses as a key platform for the future. This launch occurs as competition in the smart glasses market intensifies.
Meta on Tuesday announced a new set of $299 smart glasses, at least $80 less than the price tag for the company's entry-level second-generation Meta Ray-Ban glasses, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues his push into wearables.
The Meta Glasses come with new designs and are built in partnership with Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica , but they don't come with Ray-Ban or Oakley branding.
Meta is aggressively marketing its smart glasses to consumers as eyewear competition heats up and consumers find more value in augmented reality devices. Though the smart glasses market is still small, Meta and EssilorLuxottica dominate it, with estimated market share of more than 80% and millions of units sold since they first launched in 2021.
Meta Glasses lack a screen, but they include a camera and personal speakers. Users can speak to Meta's AI to translate or understand what they see around them, or take photos and videos of their surroundings.
Meta executives have said they see the lightweight smart glasses as a step toward a more advanced device that includes screens in the lenses with computing capabilities. Meta last year announced glasses called Ray-Ban Display glasses, which cost $799 and include a built-in display.
Zuckerberg has found more success in smart glasses than in virtual reality headsets, which were key to the company changing its name from Facebook to Meta in 2021. VR has continued to be a niche market, largely for gamers, but Zuckerberg is focused on owning a hardware platform for the artificial intelligence era.
Meanwhile, competition in the smart glasses market is picking up. Google said last month that it's building new computerized eyewear in partnership with Warby Parker that will use its Gemini AI model. Last week, Snap announced Specs, a pair of $2,195 smart glasses that CEO Evan Spiegel positioned as the successor to the smartphone.
Meta Glasses come in three new designs, the company said. Meta also introduced a new charging stand for the glasses.
WATCH: EssilorLuxottica CEO on AI glasses
Open Questions
- Consumer adoption rate for the new glasses?
- Long-term market share impact?
- Effectiveness of AI features in real-world use?
