You could say Meta has made its mark on the wearables market with this one. At $299, the new AI smart glasses are an easy way for people to get into ambient AI. They are well under what the competition is offering – and even some of their own older products – in a bet that a lower cost will secure their position as the demand for smart eyewear picks up.
Market play and competition
Meta is already the name in smart glasses. According to the International Data Corporation, 9.6 million were shipped last year and Meta had 76.1% of those. With numbers like that, they have the room to be generous with pricing and still add to the feature set.
Then there’s the timing: this comes a week after Snap put out an AR pair for $2,195. While Snap’s let you put digital content over the real world, Meta is going with a different tack. Theirs are about voice-first AI, some text and camera work for a lot less money.
The rest of the field is watching. Google and Apple have been looking at the way Meta’s first run of glasses did, so it’s only a matter of time before they join in. Price, how they feel on your face and the AI are where the action is.
Brand strategy and design choices
They’ve worked with EssilorLuxottica as usual, but you won’t see the high-end names on these. For the first time in this partnership, there is no Ray-Ban or Oakley attached, which is a way of making sure the product is in line with Meta’s AI vision and not some other brand’s.
Style is part of the equation. There’s a slim, oval set done up with Kylie Jenner and two of their own. The Meta Adventurer is a no-fuss rectangle in regular and large, and if you want to make a bit of a statement, the Meta Fury is a little more in-your-face.
We’re talking Classic Black, Tortoise, Racing Green, Linen, Merlot, Mahogany and Sandstone. Lenses can be clear, for the sun, polarised or Transitions, with 26 ways to put them together. And with the new Rx Lens Swap, you can have an optician put in your prescription and not have to worry about the warranty.
AI features and software roadmap
For the first time, Meta is shipping glasses with Meta AI running on Muse Spark, a model from their Superintelligence Labs. It means you can use your voice to find out about what’s in front of you, get some advice, check your calendar or just get some info on the fly.
That same assistant is also coming to the Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta models we have in the U.S. and Canada. On top of that, there are new tools like Dynamic Photo, which will take a few frames and point you to the one you want to keep.
Pedestrian navigation is in the works, so you’ll have turn-by-turn without having to look at a screen. They’ve also added 14 languages to live translation – we’re talking Hindi, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and more, for 20 in all. It’s for when you’re on the go and need to have a conversation, hands-free.
Hardware and availability
Comfort is key here. The nose pads and temple arms are all adjustable, and there are over-extension hinges. Hit the button and you’re in Meta AI or your app of choice. The open-ear speakers don’t block anything out, and the mics have been set up to cut down on wind for a better call.
You can take photos and video without using your hands, and there are privacy settings for sharing and for the people around you. Meta is touting over eight hours of battery. Toss them in the foldable case and you can get 40 more, and they have a new stand that will charge any of their eyewear.
They’re in the store today, online and with partners like LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Best Buy and Amazon in some areas.
Price reset and what comes next
At $299, you’re saving at least $80 over the entry-level second-gen Ray-Bans and a whole lot more than the $800 Display glasses from last year. It makes the difference between a nice accessory and something you actually use every day.
Here is the gist of Meta’s approach:
– A $299 price to get more people on board
– No brand on the frame so the AI is front and centre
– Some fashion to make it for everyone
– Software for the old models too
While others are mulling over AR or voice, Meta is going with what is useful, comfortable and doesn’t break the bank. If they can make good on their software, the lead they have might be hard to unseat.
