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Meta shatters Google’s plans to design smart glasses with best in the business

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By Abdullah Asim

Published: Sep 17, 2024, 11:44 PM

A woman using the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses in public

EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear manufacturer responsible for the Ray-Ban smart glasses, has just signed a long-term agreement with Meta. This comes as a blow to Google which had reportedly been planning to develop smart glasses with the Italian-French company as well.

The Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are powered by Meta AI, have sold incredibly well despite their lack of a display. In fact, their success was so unprecedented that Meta restructured Reality Labs — its XR (Extended Reality) division — to focus more on similar wearables.

Google was apparently looking for a slice of that pie as well. The company showed off a demo of smart glasses powered by Gemini at Google I/O this year. That demo featured a pair of glasses with a display, however, and it’s uncertain if Google wanted EssilorLuxottica to help design similar glasses.

Smart glasses are likely gaining popularity because of their much smaller form factor and less risk for social awkwardness. I wouldn’t wear a Meta Quest 3 outside, that’s for sure.

Imagine lugging this around Costco. | Video credit — Meta

However, it is worth noting that these smart glasses without a display are a compromise. Today’s technology, unfortunately, isn’t yet at the level required to make glasses with displays that also have good battery life.

That’s not to say that companies haven’t tried. Meta, for example, has spent years working on a pair of AI-powered AR smart glasses that are probably going to be shown off this month at Meta Connect. Samsung and Google’s XR project is also reportedly a pair of glasses.

Even the Apple Vision Pro was a compromise according to Bloomberg’s industry insider Mark Gurman. Apple originally wanted to make a pair of AR glasses but is now allegedly pursuing a tactic similar to the Ray-Ban glasses.

We don’t know yet if the third generation of the Ray-Ban smart glasses will have a display. If I had to guess, I’d probably say no. Meta says the tech isn’t here yet for the type of AR glasses it wants to make.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed, though. Down with the smartphone!

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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.

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