For three years, the smart glasses market has been dominated by the partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban, but that era has just ended. Meta has launched its own branded smart glasses without any Ray-Ban logos, starting at $299 — a full $80 less than the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. The new lineup includes three distinct styles: the Meta Adventurer, Meta Fury, and a special collaboration with reality TV star and socialite Kylie Jenner. All three are available in seven colors and can be fitted with prescription lenses from -12 to +2.25.
The price cut is strategic. According to Alex Himel, Meta's vice president of wearables, the company wanted to offer a pair of glasses at a lower price point. While EssilorLuxottica (the parent company of Ray-Ban) has cheaper brands, none have the name recognition needed to drive sales. So Meta decided to use its own brand, though EssilorLuxottica still manufactures the frames. A small engraving of the company's name can be found on the inner temple of each pair.
From a design perspective, the new glasses borrow heavily from the existing Ray-Ban Meta line but introduce key improvements. The Adventurer features thinner rims with a square shape, the Fury is bolder and chunkier, and the Kylie glasses sport a distinct Y2K aesthetic with a small gem on the upper corner of the left lens. All models now include adjustable nose pads that click into three positions, plus temple tips with a bendable wire for a customized fit. The hinge design allows overextension, making the glasses more comfortable for wider faces.
Internally, the specs remain similar to the recently released Ray-Ban Meta Optics Styles, with slightly better battery life. The camera module has been made smaller and less obtrusive, though that change first appeared in March with the prescription-optimized frames. Meta is also doubling down on artificial intelligence. All new Meta smart glasses will launch with Muse Spark, the company's latest AI model, which promises more natural conversation, support for 14 additional languages (including Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean), and smarter recommendations. A dynamic photo feature will automatically capture multiple frames and select the best one.
The Kylie Jenner collaboration may raise eyebrows at Google, Samsung, and Gentle Monster, who have their own smart glasses partnerships with luxe frame makers. But Meta's strategy is focused on broadening appeal through lower cost and better fit. The adjustable nose pads are a meaningful upgrade for people with low nose bridges, a common complaint among earlier Ray-Ban Meta models. Prescription support is also wider, though stronger prescriptions above -6 require a visit to an optician.
Despite the hardware improvements, Meta faces an uphill battle with public perception. Recent reports from The New York Times and Wired indicate the company is building a facial recognition feature for its smart glasses, reviving privacy fears that have dogged the product since its inception. This, combined with incidents of 'glassholes' using the glasses to harass women, has created a trust deficit. Himel acknowledged the problem, stating that Meta sees tampering and misuse increasing as the product becomes more popular. He promised 'updates really soon' to address privacy directly, though he did not specify what those updates would entail.
The company is also grappling with inconsistent AI regulation across different states and countries. Himel noted that varying rules make it hard to build a single product and that Meta is trying to steer conversations toward uniform policies. He compared the current situation to the early days of smartphones, which also raised societal concerns but eventually found acceptance. However, the analogy falls short because smartphones had immediate, obvious benefits that made privacy trade-offs worth it. Smart glasses are still searching for that killer use case.
At a recent hands-on event, journalists tested the new glasses' AI capabilities. Live Mandarin translations were smooth but had occasional latency due to background noise. The AI, speaking in Kylie Jenner's voice, offered recommendations for a purple keychain charm — suggesting grape-shaped charms or a lavender donut available on Etsy or Instagram. It also estimated the caloric content of a plate of canapés at around 280 calories, though it admitted uncertainty about one item. These demos showed incremental improvements over previous versions, but it remains unclear whether the AI is compelling enough to overcome lingering privacy concerns.
Meta's hardware has never been the problem. Since the first Ray-Ban Stories launched in 2021, the company has consistently produced well-made, stylish glasses that look like ordinary eyewear. The new models continue that trend, with better fit options and a wider array of styles. But the software and societal challenges remain. Privacy advocates are watching closely, especially as Meta plots its next moves in the augmented reality space. The success of these cheaper glasses may ultimately depend less on specs and more on trust.
For now, the Meta Glasses are available for pre-order at $299, with shipping expected later this month. The Kylie Jenner collaboration is priced slightly higher at $329. All models come with the same suite of features: a 12MP camera, five microphones, open-ear speakers, and touch controls. The glasses connect to the Meta View app, which allows for photo and video capture, hands-free calls, and AI assistance. The company is also rolling out a software update for older Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses to bring Muse Spark AI to those devices in the US and Canada.
As the smart glasses market heats up — with competitors like Apple, Google, and Samsung rumored to be developing their own products — Meta is betting that lower prices and better design will win over consumers. But the privacy shadow looms large. Himel's promise of imminent privacy updates will need to be substantial and transparent. If Meta can deliver a clear, enforceable set of privacy measures — such as a more prominent recording indicator or limits on facial recognition — it may be able to shift the narrative. Otherwise, even the most affordable, well-fitting smart glasses may struggle to find a mass audience.
Source: The Verge News