After Ray-Ban, Meta's next AI smart glasses to feature Oakley and Prada designs
Meta's AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses have already sold more than two million pairs, and it appears the company is now partnering with other brands to bring new smart glasses to market. Co-designed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, a CNBC report hints that Meta is planning to launch AI-powered smart glasses under the Oakley and Prada brands.
Following the success of the second-generation Ray-Ban glasses launched in 2023, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company plans to sell 'hundreds of millions and eventually billions of AI glasses.' On Monday, June 16, Meta teased its Oakley-branded AI-powered smart glasses, with the profile description saying, 'The next evolution is coming on June 20.'
According to CNBC, the new Oakley-branded smart glasses will be aimed at athletes who want to record their tennis, skiing and other sports sessions. These smart glasses will be more 'weather resistant' but have hardware similar to their Ray-Ban counterparts.
Compared to the Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses, which start from $299 or Rs 29,900 in India, the Oakley smart glasses for athletes are expected to start from $360, which translates to approximately Rs 31,074. However, the price in India might be slightly higher, around Rs 35,000. The new Oakley smart glasses are rumoured to come with a camera that shifts to the center of the frame.
To give you a quick recap, the Meta has been steadily adding new features to its Ray-Ban smart glasses. Some of these include live AI powered by Meta AI, live translation, the ability to search songs using Shazam, access to music streaming platforms like Spotify and Amazon Music and identifying landmarks, to name a few. These features are also expected to find their way on the upcoming Oakley-branded smart glasses since it is rumoured to feature similar hardware.
Based out of France and Italy, the EssilorLuxottica brand has licensing agreements with more than 150 brands, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol and Vogue Eyewear, to name a few.
Last year, Luxottica renewed a 10-year licensing agreement with the luxury fashion brand Prada that covers 'development, production and worldwide distribution of eyewear under the Prada and Prada Linea Rossa brands'. As part of the partnership, Meta is also planning to launch new Prada-branded AI smart glasses.
Since most Prada glasses come with thick temples, former Meta employees have reportedly said that it offers room for panicking in necessary smart glasses components like a microphone and chips. However, there is no news on when Meta will announce its smart glasses in partnership with the luxury brand.
Last month, Meta brought the second-generation smart glasses to India at a price tag of Rs 29,900. Available in a wide range of styles, including a new Skyler frame, the Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses come with standard lens options.
Earlier this year, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth had said that 2025 will be one of the most important years for the company's Reality Labs division, which works on augmented and virtual reality smart glasses and headsets. Meta is also rumoured to be working on 'half a dozen' wearable products, which include an augmented reality-based smart glasses codenamed 'Hypernova' that features a built-in display on the bottom right of the lens.
Tech giants like Google and Apple are also gearing up to launch their very own products. While Apple's smart glasses may find their way to the market sometime next year, Google last month announced that it is partnering up with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to launch new Android XR-powered smart glasses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
CBI books JNPT officials, Tata firm for 804cr fraud
Mumbai: CBI has registered a case against Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) officials and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE), a project management consultant, for allegedly causing Rs 804 crore loss to govt in a contract to increase the depth of the channel for large cargo ships. CBI was carrying out searches at several premises at the time of going to the press, report Vijay V Singh & Reeba Zachariah. The FIR mentions "preparation of inflated estimates, restriction of competition to favour international bidders, extension of undue favour to contractor and suppression of reports of independent experts/organisations". CBI conducted searches at Tata Consulting Engineers' (TCE) Mumbai and Navi Mumbai offices and took "some materials from the locations", sources said. CBI has registered a case against JNPT officials and TCE for allegedly causing Rs 804 crore loss to govt in awarding a dredging contract. The sources clarified that TCE acted as a project management consultant for the JNPT dredging projects and earned just Rs 12 crore from them. Late on Friday, CBI issued a press release stating, "Searches were conducted at the residential premises of officials of JNPT and consulting company, and offices of accused private companies at 5 places in Mumbai and Chennai, which led to recovery of documents relating to the Capital Dredging Project, digital devices, and documents showing investments made by public servants." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The FIR was registered against former JNPT chief manager Sunil Kumar Madabhavi, TCE and its project director Devdutt Bose, BoskalisSmit India LLP, Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd, and unidentified individuals. It says the loss was spread over the dredging project's two phases – 2003-14 and 2013-19. To accommodate large cargo ships, in 2003, JNPT appointed TCE to prepare the phase 1 project report for the cost estimates and time duration. TCE was also awarded the work of project management consultant, including preparation of tender documents and supervision of work. The FIR stated, "Shadow bidding arrangements to support the cartel made by BoskalisSmit India LLP and Jan De Nul Dredging India Pvt Ltd were permitted by Madabhavi in connivance with Bose… and other unidentified individuals, thereby enabling the cartel to participate in the bidding process." During the probe, it was found that the pre-dredge survey was manipulated by using the less accurate software 'Qinsy' instead of the globally accepted 'HYPACK' for measuring dredging quantity, the FIR said. CBI claimed that the two phases were planned back-to-back, and their implementation overlapped, though on record, it was mentioned that they would be taken up separately. JNPT had assigned the project report on Phase 2 to TCE in collaboration with E&Y and Howe Project. "Several stringent project qualifications criteria and tailor-made specifications were inserted in the Phase 2 tender documents to eliminate Indian bidders . ..and to the advantage of the international bidders. Such changes were made to allow bidders forming JVs or consortiums to compete for complementary bidding against the Competition Commission of India guidelines," the FIR said.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Autowallah returns Rs 17 lakh to man who left it behind in 3-wheeler
Autowallah returns Rs 17L AIZAWAL: An auto-rickshaw driver in Mizoram's Lawngtlai returned Rs 17 lakh to a businessman from Myanmar, who had inadvertently left the sum behind in his vehicle, reports HC Vanlalruata. Around 9pm Thursday, the businessman had hired Lalhmingmuana's auto-rickshaw for a ride and forgot the cash in a polythene bag. Back at the hotel, panic ensued as the businessman and hotel staff frantically searched the hotel room for the missing money. Upon discovering it, Lalhmingmuana returned to the hotel to hand over the money, expecting nothing in return. C Zathianga, president of the Lawngtlai Auto Rickshaw Owners' Association, praised Lalhmingmuana for his honesty.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘50-bps Cut a Clear Growth Signal'
India's monetary policymakers used a benign inflation outlook to frontload rate cuts and send a 'clear signal' to productive sectors to boost growth, showed the minutes of the June 6 meeting that slashed benchmark rates by an outsized half a percentage point. A bigger reduction would also quicken transmission, argued those in favour. 'Given the sharp reduction in inflation over the past few months and the projected reduction in annual average inflation… it is expected that the front-loaded rate action along with certainty on the liquidity front would send a clear signal to the economic agents, thereby supporting consumption and investment through lower cost of borrowing,' RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra was cited as saying in the minutes of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) published Friday. On June 6, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered the benchmark repo rate by an unexpected 50 basis points to 5.5% and changed the policy stance to 'neutral' from 'accommodative', going by the majority vote of the MPC. One basis point is a hundredth of a percentage point. Rajiv Ranjan, an internal member on the rate-setting panel, was of the opinion that since monetary policy worked with a lag, under the current circumstances, a 50-bps cut was preferable to two 25-bps cuts for faster transmission. 'Similar to the frontloaded rate hikes during the tightening cycle, frontloading rate cuts could help in hastening transmission by providing decisive signals and confidence to the stakeholders' Ranjan said. Deputy governor Poonam Gupta agreed there was merit in frontloading rate cuts. 'I vote for a policy rate cut by 50 bps in this meeting. This should help in fostering policy certainty and faster transmission than a staggered rate cut, and in more effectively countering the challenges emanating from the global economy,' she said in her first MPC vote. The inflation outlook is 3.7% for FY26, lower than the 4% mandated target. The GDP is forecast at 6.5% for the year. In May, the headline consumer price gauge was 2.82%. Saugata Bhattacharya, who had split ranks with panel members on the quantum of the reduction, voted for a 25-bps rate cut, arguing that boosting durable liquidity would be more impactful on transmission than a steeper reduction in policy rates. 'The RBI's liquidity infusion and other measures have played a key role in this process, partly via lower money market and short-term interest rates, reducing the overall banks' cost of funds,' Bhattacharya, an external member, was cited as saying. 'The RBI data suggests that Rs 9.5 lakh crore of durable liquidity was injected into the banking system since January. In this context, I believe the RBI's assurance of continuing large durable liquidity support is likely to have a more dominant effect on further transmission compared to a deep cut in the repo rate.' The RBI's cumulative 100-bps cuts since February come amid private investment, especially in manufacturing, and urban consumption, remaining subdued. Additionally, the uncertain external environment has complicated the economic growth outlook for 2025-26, especially due to political tensions and trade war which has impacted job creation. 'A heavier-than-expected cut in policy rate (along with the possible fiscal policy support) would send a clear message that India is serious about supporting economic growth momentum and would spare no effort in terms of policy interventions,' said external member Nagesh Kumar, director and chief executive, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development. 'A double dose of rate cut is likely to bring down lending rates significantly, helping to spur the investment and consumption of durable goods.' Expectations of further rate cuts have likely delayed the materialisation of demand and investment decisions. 'In such an environment, given the market expectation of a 50-bps rate cut in this cycle, a staggered rate cut can further delay the materialisation of demand and investment decisions,' said external member Ram Singh, Director, Delhi School of Economics. 'By contrast, a front-loaded 50-bps cut in the policy rate is likely to help achieve the twin objectives of supporting demand and growth by reducing the cost of funds for borrowers'. One of the concerns raised was the interest rate differential between India policy rates and the US Fed rates, which could lead to capital flight and can put pressure on the rupee. 'However, given the robust fundamentals of the Indian economy, including a comfortable current account situation, any pressure on INR is likely to be confined to the short run,' said Singh.
