Meta Expands Smart Glasses Lineup with Oakley, Prada Partnerships

Meta is expanding its smart glasses lineup by partnering with EssilorLuxottica to launch AI-powered smart glasses under the Oakley and Prada brands. The Oakley version is expected to be priced around 360 dollars, higher than its Ray-Ban counterparts, due to its enhanced durability against wind and rain. The technical core of the Oakley smart glasses will be similar to the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses released in 2023.

Meta's collaboration with Prada marks its first foray into the luxury fashion market with wearable technology. This partnership comes on the heels of Prada's renewal of its ten-year licensing agreement with EssilorLuxottica in December of last year. The distinctive thick frame design of Prada glasses provides ample space for the necessary components of smart glasses, such as microphones and chips, making it an ideal candidate for this collaboration. However, the release date for the Prada smart glasses remains unclear.

Meta's aggressive expansion is underpinned by the unexpected success of its second-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Launched in 2023, these glasses feature Meta's AI voice assistant and can sync with smartphones to perform tasks such as landmark recognition and voice messaging. The collaboration between Meta and Luxottica began in 2019, and since the release of the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the product has gained significant market traction.

EssilorLuxottica's CEO, Francesco Milleri, confirmed in February that 2 million units of Meta Ray-Ban glasses have been sold since 2023. He aims to increase annual production to 10 million units by the end of 2026. Additionally, Meta and Luxottica's extended partnership, announced in October of last year, is valued at 50 billion dollars. This agreement grants Meta exclusive use of Luxottica's brand for smart glass technology for multiple years.

Meta's rapid advancement comes at a time when the smart glass market is heating up with intense competition. Tech giants are vying for a piece of this emerging market. Last month, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, announced a 150 million dollar partnership with Warby Parker to co-develop smart glasses integrated with Google Gemini AI, with a planned release date after 2025. Meanwhile, social media rival Snap announced in June its plans to launch the sixth generation of its smart glasses under the new brand "Specs" in 2026. The new product is said to feature augmented reality (AR) technology and will be smaller and lighter than its predecessors.

In response to the impending fierce competition, Meta has adopted a "first-mover" strategy. By leveraging its deep partnership with the world's largest eyewear manufacturer, EssilorLuxottica, Meta is quickly expanding its product line to include iconic brands across different price points and styles. This move aims to establish a formidable brand matrix that will be difficult for competitors to surpass.