What Are Meta Glasses?

The new models are called Meta Glasses. EssilorLuxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban, Oakley and many other glasses is still here, now as a partner in the new models.

There are three styles. First up is Meta Adventurer, described as a clean rectangle, available in standard and large sizes. These frames are most similar to the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

Then there’s the Meta Fury, which the company describes as a “bold frame,” which translates, I think, into something bigger and more statement-y, but still has a squarish look.

The third style is called Starfire Kylie Edition, which have an oval shape and look, I’d say, more feminine. The collaboration is with Kylie Jenner.

What’s New And What’s Not

As with previous releases, the new frames come in a selection of colors, including classic black, classic tortoise, racing green, linen, merlot, mahogany and sandstone. Lens options include polarized, clear and Transitions.

But there are details which weren’t found on some Meta smart glasses. Adjustable nose pads and temple tips and over-extension hinges (which allow fitting to wider heads), are features not present on earlier models until the recently launched Blayzer and Scriber frames.

Battery life remains at eight hours, like on the Ray-Ban Meta Gen2 frames, and the camera continues to have a 12-megapixel sensor, capable of 3K video capture. Charging comes from the case which offers an extra 40 hours of charge.

There’s also the Meta Glasses Charging Stand, which is mains-powered and lets you recharge the glasses on the nightstand, desk and so on. It will work with most AI glasses from Meta.

Meta AI From Day One

Meta AI, designed to be smarter than the virtual assistants on earlier models, is on board the new glasses now. It has also now been made available to Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta models, in the U.S. and Canada.

The Pricing — And Why It’s Important

Meta has priced these new glasses aggressively, compared to the previous models, all of which remain in the range. Where Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Gen 2 cost from $379, Meta Adventurer prices start $80 lower, at $299. The price differential is even starker in the U.K. Where Wayfarer Gen 2 costs from £379, the new Meta Adventurer and Fury start at £269.

In both cases, prices go up if you plump for Transitions lenses, or choose certain frames.

Meta knows it’s ahead of Apple in this race, as it acknowledged to Bloomberg and seems to have timed this release, which is a significant ramping up to its collection, to beat Apple to its release, which is expected to be in 2027.