Meta Expands AI Glasses Line in a Bet on The Future

AFP/APP

Menlo Park, United States: Meta unveiled new smart glasses on Wednesday, doubling down on its vision of blending reality with the virtual world despite mounting financial losses in its metaverse division.

Headlining the announcements were the new Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, equipped with built-in screens that allow wearers to view messages, photos and other content as if looking at a smartphone.

Billed as Meta’s most advanced AI eyewear, the glasses are paired with sensor-packed “neural bands” worn on the wrist, enabling users to control them with subtle finger movements. The devices are priced at $799.

“Our goal is to build great-looking glasses that deliver personal superintelligence and a sense of presence using realistic holograms,” Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told the company’s annual developers’ conference. “These ideas combined are what we call the metaverse.”

Zuckerberg has long predicted that AI-powered eyewear will be the “next major computing platform,” eventually replacing smartphones.

Heavy losses, long-term gamble

Meta began its metaverse push four years ago, with Zuckerberg rebranding Facebook as Meta in 2021. But Reality Labs, the company’s virtual and augmented reality unit, continues to bleed money.

The division lost $4.5 billion in the second quarter of this year on just $370 million in revenue, underlining the challenges ahead.

“There’s no realistic chance that smart glasses sales make this division profitable in the short term,” said CCS Insight analyst Leo Gebbie. “This is about the long-term game—breaking free from smartphones where Meta has been throttled by Apple and Google, and controlling its own destiny in wearables.”

Smart glasses have been touted as a futuristic breakthrough for over a decade, though early attempts like Google Glass in 2013 flopped. Meta has fared better with its Ray-Ban line, offering features such as built-in cameras, music playback, and AI voice assistance.

Replacing smartphones?

The global smart glasses market, valued at nearly $2 billion last year, is forecast to grow to $8.26 billion annually by 2030, according to Grand View Research.

Meta said its products are designed to provide “real-world superpowers” by connecting users to instant information while allowing them to remain present in the physical world.

Alongside Ray-Ban Display, Zuckerberg introduced two other models:

Ray-Ban Meta: building on a partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the parent of Ray-Ban and Oakley. Already the world’s top-selling AI glasses with millions sold, features include hands-free photos and video, a digital assistant, and real-time translation. Prices start at $379.

Oakley Meta Vanguard: part of a new “Performance AI glasses” line designed for athletes. Priced at $499, they include an action-ready camera, integration with fitness apps, and immersive audio.

“Designed for high-intensity sports, Oakley Meta Vanguard elevates workouts with powerful AI features,” Meta said.