Meta and Ray-Ban’s parent company EssilorLuxottica have extended their partnership into the next decade. The two companies have been working together since 2019 to produce two generations of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The agreement between Meta and EssilorLuxottica is expected to result in more “multi-generational smart eyewear products.”
The first version was released in late 2021, just before Meta became Facebook, and was called Ray-Ban Stories. It had some good points, but I wasn’t entirely convinced. The $300 sunglasses looked like a slightly bulkier Ray-Ban, thankfully without the Facebook logo, and offered decent sound quality from a small speaker at medium volume. The camera was decent and worked better in bright light. But privacy became an issue, with data sharing and voice transcription turned on by default.
We are more interested in the 2023 Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and gave them 85 points in our review. The advantages of the new model include a slimmer frame, hands-free photo messaging, and Instagram live streaming capabilities (with an improved 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera). It also has an improved microphone and sound quality, which is better at high volumes. In addition, the charging case looks just like the classic Ray-Ban pouch.
The smart glasses originally came with an AI assistant, but Meta has since introduced multimodal AI. This toolset allows the assistant to process photos, videos, text, and voice, allowing it to see and understand the world in real time. You can also ask the assistant to identify what you’re looking at, such as a dog breed, a landmark’s name and information, or a road sign in another language. Additionally, new frame designs are available, with prices starting at $300.
Notably, in July, media and Essilor Luxottica CEO Francesco Mirelli reported that Meta may acquire a 5% stake in the company. It remains to be seen whether that will happen, and the partnership extension announcement made no mention of a purchase.
