Meta pivots to own-brand smart eyewear with $299 launch
Developed with EssilorLuxottica, the new line undercuts rival Snap’s pricing significantly while leveraging Meta AI for navigation and translation.
Meta has officially launched its first line of own-branded smart glasses, titled 'Meta Glasses', starting at a price point of $299. Developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the new range includes the Meta Adventurer, the Meta Fury, and a collaboration with Kylie Jenner. This launch marks a strategic pivot for Meta, moving away from its previous branded partnerships with Ray-Ban and Oakley to establish a standalone product identity.
The devices feature a camera, personal speakers, and a dedicated button for the Meta AI assistant, but lack a visual display. The initial release includes three distinct models: the 'Meta Adventurer' with a rectangular shape, the 'Meta Fury' with a boxier frame, and 'Meta Glasses by Kylie Jenner' featuring a slim oval frame. The glasses are available in several countries starting today, with battery life claimed to be over 8 hours, extendable to 40 hours with the charging case.
The release positions Meta competitively against rivals like Snap, whose recently unveiled 'Specs' are priced significantly higher at $2,195. Meta and EssilorLuxottica currently hold an estimated market share of more than 80% in the smart glasses sector, according to data from Counterpoint Research. This dominant position underscores the significance of Meta’s decision to consolidate its wearables strategy under its own brand name.
Key features of the new eyewear include pedestrian navigation and live translation support for 14 languages, including Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, and Korean. The Meta AI assistant on these devices can interpret visual input, answer questions, and provide turn-by-turn pedestrian navigation. Users can also customize the dedicated button to launch specific features beyond the default AI assistant trigger.
The launch follows a week of heightened activity in the smart eyewear sector, with Snap unveiling its consumer glasses at a much higher price point. Meta’s entry into the market with a lower-cost, own-branded option signals an aggressive move to capture broader consumer adoption while maintaining its technological edge in AI-driven wearables.
