Meta just dropped its first pair of fully self-branded smart glasses, and they’re called — wait for it — Meta Glasses. Starting at $299, they’re $80 cheaper than the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta, and they come with exactly zero major new features. The play here isn’t innovation; it’s timing. Meta wants to get its foot in the door before Apple and Google crash the party.
Yes, Meta still partnered with EssilorLuxottica to make these frames, but the Ray-Ban and Oakley logos are gone. For those who want a little more flair, there’s the Meta Starfire edition designed with reality TV star Kylie Jenner — that one costs $399.
Don’t expect any augmented reality tricks. These glasses pack a camera and built-in speakers, but no AR displays. Instead, you get Meta’s Muse Spark model for voice-controlled photo and video capture, live streaming to your social platforms, and an AI that can identify and explain what you’re looking at.
Meta says it plans to launch four smart glasses models this year, starting with the Meta Glasses. Another pair codenamed Modelo could show up as soon as this month.