As part of this deal, Meta has furthered its partnership with EssilorLuxottica, parent company of Ray-Ban. They’re back with new smart glasses, this time branded Oakley and Prada. This collaboration extends their successful co-owned joint venture that began in 2019. Jointly, they created Ray-Ban smart glasses, releasing the inaugural edition in 2021.
This year, second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses were released. They come with the integrated Meta AI voice assistant, which takes user experience to a whole other level. These glasses allow users to identify city landmarks with a smartphone connection, obtain recipes by scanning ingredients, and record and send voice messages via WhatsApp and Messenger.
The partnership announced their latest extension this past October. They have just announced plans for a bigger, third-generation model to come out this holiday season! We hope this new version will take what already works well and enhance it with better, more efficient technology.
Other than the Ray-Ban, Meta has previewed the soon-to-be-released Oakley version of the smart glasses via social media. An Instagram account created under the name “Oakley | Meta” was used to advertise this new product. The Oakley shades are expected to take advantage of augmented-reality technology, which would set them apart from past versions.
We’re thrilled to roll out this next evolution,” one such statement from the Meta Instagram account read. The next evolution is right around the corner, on June 20.
Finally, the Oakley Meta glasses will be much smaller and lighter compared to the competition’s products. By doing better than Snap’s products, they’ll be able to reach a much larger group of people. For comparison, these glasses cost about $360. They’re looking to appeal to both the tech-savvy futurists and everyday commuters when they roll out in 2026.
All that smarts come courtesy of a new, powerful Qualcomm chip. This technology ensures seamless functionality and optimal performance across all use cases. They have especially appreciated the ease of surprising and delighting people with conversational, AI-powered engagement that simplifies daily tasks.
Together, Meta and Luxottica’s partnership represents an important step in smart eyewear’s development. Fusing high-fashion with forward-looking technology, these products have a functional use and an obvious appeal to consumers who refuse to compromise on style.