Meta’s new AI glasses land at $299 — and they drop the Ray-Ban name
MANILA — Meta’s latest smart glasses cost $299. That is $100 less than the company’s previous Ray-Ban Stories model. And for the first time, they do not carry a brand like Ray-Ban or Oakley.
The glasses are a collaboration with Luxottica, the Italian eyewear giant that owns both those labels. But the new frames come under Meta’s own name.
They arrive in new colors and styles — a rectangular design, plus a slim oval collection made with media personality Kylie Jenner. This is the first Meta wearable powered by Muse Spark. That is the first model from the company’s Superintelligence Labs.
The AI inside can translate languages, identify objects the wearer sees, and capture photos or video through a built-in camera. There is no display.
Sound comes through personal speakers. The smart glasses market is still small. Meta and EssilorLuxottica dominate it.
Google and Snap have each made recent announcements, but their products remain niche. Meta’s new price point — $299 — cuts the cost of entry. That could matter for families across Asia, where the announcement was framed as a significant development for communities.
Why drop the Ray-Ban name? The report does not say.
But the move suggests Meta wants its own identity in hardware. The earlier Ray-Ban Stories, launched in 2021, carried a higher price and a more limited feature set. Those glasses also lacked the deep AI integration that the new model brings.
The timing is not accidental. Google announced its own smart glasses plans earlier this year.
Snap has been iterating on its Spectacles line for years. Meta is now the first to ship an AI-first wearable at a sub-$300 price. It is also the first to use Muse Spark, a model built by the company’s Superintelligence Labs — a unit Meta has been quietly staffing with researchers from top AI labs.
What the glasses do not do is as notable as what they do. No display means no augmented reality overlays. No notifications floating in front of your eyes.
The interaction is entirely voice and camera. You talk to the AI.
It talks back through the speakers. You can take a photo by saying so. That limitation may be intentional.
Displays add cost, weight, and battery drain. By skipping one, Meta keeps the glasses light and the price low.
It also avoids the awkwardness of wearing conspicuous tech on your face. The Kylie Jenner collaboration — slim oval frames in new colors — suggests Meta is aiming for something that looks like normal eyewear. For people who travel or work across languages, the translation feature could be the killer app.
Point the camera at a sign. Ask the AI what it says. It tells you.
No phone needed. No typing.
That is a real use case, not a gimmick. The question now is whether people will wear them. Smart glasses have flopped before.
Google Glass died in public backlash over privacy. Snap Spectacles never became more than a toy.
Meta’s first attempt, the Ray-Ban Stories, sold modestly. The new model is cheaper, smarter, and less branded. That combination might be the one that sticks.
Meta is betting that AI — not a display, not a brand — is what makes smart glasses work. The $299 price makes that bet easier to try. For families in Asia, where the announcement was made, the cost matters.
So does the utility. Translation, hands-free photos, voice commands — these are not features for early adopters only.
They are features for everyday life. The glasses are available now. Whether they become common remains to be seen.
But the market just got a real competitor at a real price.
