It seems to be like Meta’s sensible glasses lineup is about to broaden past Ray-Ban. A brand new verified Instagram web page referred to as “Oakley | Meta” popped up this week, teasing a joint product launch scheduled for Friday, June 20. Right here’s what to anticipate.
This partnership has been within the rumor pipeline for some time now. Again in January, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Meta was making ready a brand new set of sensible glasses underneath the Oakley model, aimed toward cyclists and different athletes.
In contrast to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, which give attention to informal, on a regular basis use with a digital camera discreetly constructed into the temple, the Oakley mannequin is alleged to characteristic a center-mounted digital camera, one thing extra according to motion cams just like the GoPro, designed for sporty, on-the-move recording.
The sensible glasses race is heating up
By all accounts, Meta’s Ray-Bans have turned out to be a shock hit. Earlier this yr, the corporate introduced it had shipped over 2 million models, with plans to scale manufacturing to 10 million models yearly by the tip of 2026. The timing, coinciding with the broader AI assistant growth, has undoubtedly helped.
Google has taken discover, too. The corporate lately introduced new sensible glasses partnerships with Warby Parker, Mild Monster, and Kering Eyewear, all working on Android XR.
In the meantime, Apple appears to be fast-tracking its personal sensible glasses challenge. Bloomberg lately reported that Apple has accelerated its personal plans for AI-powered sensible glasses, now focusing on a launch by the tip of 2026.
In keeping with the report, Apple will start producing giant portions of prototypes with suppliers later this yr, with the challenge being led by the Imaginative and prescient Merchandise Group, the identical group behind Imaginative and prescient Professional.
When it comes to options, Apple’s first-gen sensible glasses are anticipated to lean closely into AI-powered assistive features like real-world scene evaluation, voice enter by way of Siri, cellphone calls, music playback, turn-by-turn instructions, and reside translation.
The {hardware} will reportedly embody cameras, microphones, and audio system, drawing direct comparisons to Meta’s Ray-Bans (although one supply quoted by Bloomberg described Apple’s take as “much like the Meta product however higher made.”)
9to5Mac’s Take
The wearables market is shifting quick, and Apple doesn’t wish to miss the boat twice. With Meta promoting thousands and thousands of sensible glasses already, and Google and others leaping in, Apple had little alternative however to tug its timeline ahead. Nonetheless, “by the tip of 2026” looks like an eternity away.
If achieved proper, Apple’s eventual sensible glasses may take pleasure in the identical tight iPhone integration that helped make the Apple Watch and AirPods a hit. However with the Oakley | Meta launch coming this week, and rivals additionally accelerating their plans, the clock is ticking, and Apple’s margin for error is rising slimmer by the day.
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