After Ray-Ban, Mark Zuckerberg Now Eyes Oakley For Next Meta Smart Glasses
Will Meta and Oakley unveil a ruggedised version of their smart glasses with advanced AI, improved audio, and superior video capture?
Meta is preparing to take its wearable tech game into sportier territory with a new partnership alongside Oakley. The latest collaboration was quietly teased by Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, who posted a brief video featuring both the Meta and Oakley logos. Though product details remain under wraps, the teaser has already sparked widespread speculation across tech and eyewear circles.
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Oakley confirmed the buzz with an Instagram post promising, “The next evolution is coming on June 20.” A new joint Instagram account titled “Oakley | Meta” has also surfaced, sharing the same teaser clip across Meta and Oakley’s official channels. Adding more fuel to the anticipation, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reshared the teaser, suggesting something significant is on the horizon.
Building On The Ray-Ban Legacy
Meta first entered the smart glasses arena in 2021 with the Ray-Ban Stories, developed through its partnership with Ray-Ban’s parent company EssilorLuxottica. These first-generation glasses came equipped with speakers and a camera but lacked any augmented reality functions. In 2023, Meta followed up with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, offering improved camera capabilities, better audio, and AI integration, all priced at $299.
The Oakley collaboration could signal a fresh design direction—one that blends Meta’s existing tech with Oakley’s athletic DNA. Given Oakley’s strong following among athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, the upcoming glasses may cater to users who want high-performance functionality combined with smart features.
A Natural Move Under EssilorLuxottica’s Umbrella
This partnership aligns seamlessly with Meta’s existing relationship with EssilorLuxottica, which owns both Ray-Ban and Oakley.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the new Oakley-Meta glasses could be based on Oakley’s Sphaera model, with a notable design tweak: a centrally located camera embedded within the frame, as opposed to the edge-mounted camera seen in Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
June 20 Reveal: What To Expect
As the official June 20 launch draws closer, expectations are mounting. Will Meta and Oakley unveil a ruggedised version of their smart glasses with advanced AI, improved audio, and superior video capture? Or will this be a sport-specific product targeting Oakley’s core audience? So far, Meta has remained tight-lipped.
What’s clear is that this move underscores Meta’s ongoing ambition to dominate the wearable tech space, pushing beyond phones and tablets to shape the next frontier of connected experiences.
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