Meta unveils lower-cost AI smart glasses starting at $299

MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA: Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica have introduced a new line of lower-priced artificial intelligence smart glasses, expanding on the momentum built by their earlier Ray-Ban wearable devices.

The new Meta Glasses will start at $299, a substantially lower entry point than the $800 Ray-Ban Display glasses the company launched last year. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been spending billions of dollars on what it describes as personal intelligence, aiming to bring AI tools to individual users through consumer devices.

Although the glasses were developed with Luxottica, this is the first range from the partnership that is not being sold under one of the eyewear company’s better-known labels such as Ray-Ban or Oakley. The company said the new collection will be offered in fresh colours and shapes, including a rectangular style and a slim oval-frame series created in collaboration with media personality Kylie Jenner.

The devices also mark another first for the company’s wearable lineup, as they are launching with Meta AI powered by Muse Spark, described as the first model from Meta’s Superintelligence Labs.

Meta’s push in the category comes as competition in smart eyewear grows. According to the International Data Corporation, global shipments of smart glasses reached 9.6 million units last year, with Meta accounting for around 76.1pc of the market total. The performance of Meta’s glasses has also prompted other major technology companies, including Google and Apple, to pursue similar products.

The announcement follows the launch last week of a new pair of augmented-reality glasses by Snap, the owner of Snapchat, priced at $2,195. Unlike Snap’s product, which places digital content over a user’s real-world view, Meta’s glasses are designed to provide text display and AI-based interaction.