Meta’s Ray Ban smart glasses have steadily become one of the most in-demand tech items, superseding both Snap’s Spectacles and Apple’s VisionPro as one of the top digital wearable accessories currently on the market.
Indeed, revenue for Meta’s Reality Labs, the department responsible for developing its AR and VR devices, was up more than 50% on average in Q4, while Meta has also reported that it’s been struggling to keep up with consumer demand for the device.
And this week, Meta’s released a new version of the glasses to generate more interest, with the latest Coperni variation incorporating a more stylistic design, aligning with fashion trends.
As you can see in this example, the Meta Coperni glasses feature a transparent black coloring, with the Coperni logo on its lenses.
As per Meta:
“The Ray-Ban Meta x Coperni Limited Edition Wayfarer merges high fashion with advanced AI technology. Featuring sleek design, grey mirrored lenses and seamless connectivity, this exclusive edition offers camera, audio and voice assistant functions to capture every moment while staying connected.”
The Coperni glasses will be in limited supply, with only 3,600 pairs going into production. And given the popularity of the glasses, you can bet that collectors will snap up this latest variation, which will further help to enhance the hype factor around Meta’s evolving wearables push.
Meta’s already released several limited edition versions of its smart glasses, with a sleek-looking transparent frame variation released last November, and a special, not-for-retail-sale set to coincide with the 2025 Super Bowl.
Which also saw Meta launch its first big ad push for the glasses, featuring Hollywood stars Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth.
I’m not sure that particular campaign drove a heap more interest, but with the addition of an on-demand AI assistant, and live language translation, among other feature updates, Meta’s sunglasses are gaining more momentum, which should help to set up the next stage of Meta’s metaverse push, incorporating both AR and VR wearables into its product suite.
VR, of course, it already has, with the leading consumer headset on the market. And it’s getting ready to make its push into AR glasses as well, with the second generation of its “Aria” AR glasses now available to developers.
Those are currently scheduled for a consumer launch in 2027, and by that stage, Meta may well have slimmed down the tech, and incorporated enough elements of its Ray Ban glasses to make them a more viable, valuable tech item.
Pricing remains a challenge, as Apple has found out, with the $3,500 price tag for its AR device being well-beyond the reach of most consumers.
Meta’s working to reduce the cost of its AR glasses, though it still expects them to be around the price of a new release mobile phone at launch. So they will still be upwards of $1,000 when they do get a release, but via its incorporation with EssilorLuxottica, the maker of Ray Ban, I do have faith that the eventual AR glasses that are released by Meta will be stylish and functional, in the same vein as the current Ray Ban Metas.
And while Meta, the company, is taking a PR hit at the moment due to its decision to revise its moderation rules, its Ray Ban glasses remain popular, and as noted, are seeing rising demand. Sure, you may not want to trust Meta with your data, but just like Facebook, billions of people still do, because everyone is on it, and all of your family and friends use its apps and tools, despite those potential negatives.
Ray Ban Metas looks set to follow the same trajectory, becoming a must-have, regardless of how you may feel about Zuck and Co. Because they’re that good, they’re that functional, and they may well become the next big thing in digital interactivity.
Just as Meta has predicted.
So even if you’re not considering Meta’s Ray Bans now, you likely will be in the near future, as it continues to build for the next stage if digital connection.
Could smart glasses replace phones as the key connective device? As AI assistants become more commonplace, it’s becoming more viable everyday.
Source link
