The subsequent technology of Ray-Ban Meta glasses will arrive later this yr with a small heads-up show (HUD), The Monetary Instances studies.
This contradicts earlier reporting from The Data again in July. That report additionally mentioned Meta HUD glasses have been coming in 2025, however claimed that they will not be a partnership with EssilorLuxottica, and thus will not have Ray-Ban styling or branding, as a result of the corporate “balked” on the thickness of designs with a waveguide projector included.
This implies one of many two retailers is mistaken. Nonetheless, The Data’s report got here months earlier than Meta prolonged its partnership with EssilorLuxottica “into the subsequent decade” to develop “multi-generational good eyewear merchandise” and invested a 5% stake within the firm, so it is also doable that Meta persuaded EssilorLuxottica to alter its thoughts.
Meta Extends Its Ray-Ban Partnership Into The 2030s
Meta and Ray-Ban’s proprietor have prolonged their partnership “into the subsequent decade” to develop “multi-generational good eyewear merchandise”.
The small heads-up show might be used to indicate notifications, to output textual content as a substitute of audio from the Meta AI assistant, and to assist body images earlier than taking them. Meta executives have beforehand spoken of the concept of a “viewfinder”.
Even as soon as HUD glasses are available on the market although, feedback from Mark Zuckerberg in interviews over the previous yr recommend Meta will proceed to supply cheaper good glasses and not using a show for a really very long time, because of the important potential of Meta AI. Zuckerberg says he initially anticipated good glasses would wish a show to be helpful, however with LLMs now believes audio-only ought to live on as a product line of its personal. HUD glasses and AR glasses, then, ought to arrive as increased finish product traces, not replacements for audio-only good glasses.
The present Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been a breakout success, with Meta and EssilorLuxottica usually promoting them as quick as they will make them. However will consumers settle for added bulk and weight if it offers them a small show, or is the success of this class contingent on the shape issue resembling common glasses? Meta’s subsequent steps will reply that query, and Samsung and Google are set to observe too.
