Meta Inks Long Term Deal With Ray-Ban to Extend Smart Glasses Partnership

Meta has signed a long-term deal with Ray-Ban that renews its partnership with the firm behind the popular sunglass and eyeglass brand. The two companies worked on their first wearable eyewear product in 2019, and the first smart glasses were launched under the Ray-Ban Meta brand last year in several countries (but not in India) and quickly outsold their predecessor. Earlier this year, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses received an update that added support for new features powered by artificial intelligence (AI). 

EssilorLuxottica, the company that owns Ray-Ban and Oakley, announced on Tuesday that it had signed a deal to extend its partnership with Facebook parent Meta. The company says that it will develop "multi-generational smart eyewear products" over the next decade, but didn't share details related to the duration of the deal. 

Last year, Meta and Ray-Ban launched the latest generation of smart glasses with support for capturing images and video using the built-in 12-megapixel camera, making phone calls, listening to music and streaming content using the smart eyewear, that can be charged via a carrying case that resembles Ray-Ban's pouch for sunglasses and spectacles.

Earlier this year, EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri said the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses outsold the first-generation model, which was called Ray-Ban Stories. "Today people's expectations are clearer.. hence the success of the second generation," Milleri said at an event in July.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses are currently available in several countries including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The company is yet to launch the wearable smart glasses in India and other key markets.

Meanwhile, Meta rival Snap took the wraps off its fifth-generation Spectacles on Tuesday at the Snap Partner Summit 2024. The latest smart glasses from Snap are equipped with more immersive AR displays have micro projectors and are powered by dual Snapdragon processors. They also boast longer battery backup on a single charge compared to their predecessor. Currently, they can only be accessed by joining Snap's Spectacles Developer Program which has a monthly fee of $99 (roughly Rs. 8,200).