The latest
Meta is pushing its AI glasses closer to the mainstream.
The company unveiled Meta Glasses, a new line of smart eyewear powered by its Muse Spark AI system at launch. The glasses start at $299, making them cheaper than Meta’s existing Ray-Ban and Oakley-branded models.
The launch shows Meta trying to turn AI glasses from a niche gadget into a more accessible consumer product.
Details
• Meta Glasses will come in three models: Meta Adventurer, Meta Fury and Meta Glasses by Kylie.
• The Kylie Jenner model was designed in collaboration with the influencer and features her voice as the AI assistant. It starts at $399.
• Meta says the glasses will be available in 26 styles at launch and will support prescription lenses.
• The glasses were designed in-house and made in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear giant behind brands including Ray-Ban and Oakley.
• The shift away from designer branding helps explain the lower price. Meta is selling the device more like a white-label product: similar technology, less brand markup.
• The glasses include up to eight hours of battery life, a portable charging case and a dedicated action button for Meta AI.
• Meta says the AI assistant will deliver “smarter answers,” positioning the glasses as a hands-free AI interface rather than just a camera or audio device.
• The launch comes as Meta faces scrutiny over possible facial recognition features in smart glasses.
• Wired reported that Meta added code for a feature called NameTag to its Meta AI mobile app earlier this year, though it had not been activated.
• The New York Times previously reported that NameTag is an internal feature designed to identify people captured by the glasses’ camera and create a “faceprint.”
• Meta has disputed concerns around the reporting, saying it is only exploring such features and has not shipped them to consumers.
• For the new models, Meta says the glasses include clear settings, sharing controls and safeguards meant to protect the privacy of people nearby.
What to watch
The price is the commercial story. The privacy debate is the real one.
At $299, Meta is making AI glasses easier to buy and harder to dismiss. But the more ordinary the glasses become, the more sensitive the camera, AI and facial recognition questions get.
Meta is not just selling eyewear.
It is trying to make the face a new AI interface.
