Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on Orion AR glasses at the Meta Connect annual event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 25, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo
Manuel Orbegozo | Reuters
Meta and EssilorLuxottica plan to release versions of their AI-powered smart glasses under the Oakley and Prada brands, CNBC has learned.
The addition of Prada and Oakley underscore the breakout success Meta had with its second-generation Ray-Ban glasses released in partnership with Luxottica in 2023. The Oakley expansion will be done in partnership with Luxottica, while the addition of Prada signifies Meta’s first step toward bring its wearable hardware to more fashion companies.
Meta on Monday teased the Oakley release on social media, launching an Instagram account for “Oakley | Meta” with a profile description that reads “The next evolution is coming on June 20.”
CNBC reviewed a document that says the new glasses with Luxottica will be aimed at athletes. Meta is targeting active consumers after seeing several owners of its Ray-Ban glasses use the device to record themselves playing tennis, skiing and doing other activities.
The Oakley version of the glasses may cost around $360 as they are more weather resistant than their Ray-Ban counterparts, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly about the upcoming device. The first version of the Oakley Meta glasses will feature similar technology to the Ray-Ban Meta glasses released in 2023.
Luxottica, based in France and Italy, has licensing arrangements with over 150 brands and owns notable brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Vogue Eyewear and Persol.
Meta’s agreement with Prada comes after the fashion company in December renewed an eyewear-related licensing agreement with Luxottica for 10 years. That deals covers the “development, production and worldwide distribution of eyewear under the Prada, Prada Linea Rossa and Miu Miu brands,” the companies said at the time.
Besides giving Meta a high-end partnership, the Prada glasses may be a particularly good fit for the tech company as many of the brand’s models come with thick temples, former Meta employees said. That provides more heft for housing many of the components necessary for smart glasses, including microphones and chips.
It’s unclear when the Prada deal and product line will be announced.
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are powered by a Qualcomm chip. Qualcomm, Samsung and Google are working on smart glasses, according to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.
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Meta first partnered with EssilorLuxottica in 2019 to jointly develop the Ray-Ban glasses. The two companies released the first version in 2021, but they found success after the release of the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses in 2023. That version comes equipped with the Meta AI voice assistant and includes features and, when tethered to a smartphone, lets users identify city landmarks, get recipes when looking at ingredients and record and send voice messages on WhatsApp and Messenger.
EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri said in February the companies have sold 2 million pairs of the Meta Ray-Ban glasses since 2023. Miller said he aimed to increase annual production to 10 million units by the end of 2026.
Meta and Luxottica announced an extension of their partnership in September, with plans to release more versions of their Ray-Ban glasses. That deal was worth $5 billion, according to a July 2024 report in The Wall Street Journal. As part of the deal, Meta gets exclusive rights to Luxottica’s brands for its smart glasses technology for a number of years, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The two companies plan to release a bulkier, third generation of their glasses in time for the coming holiday season. The new device is expected to include a small display in one of the lenses, CNBC has previously reported.
Competition in the market is heating up.
Last month, Alphabet announced a $150 million partnership with Warby Parker that will see the two companies team up to release glasses infused with Google’s Gemini AI assistant. The companies plan to release the glasses sometime after 2025.
Snap, meanwhile, announced in June that it plans to release its sixth generation smart glasses under a new brand called Specs. Those glasses, expected for release in 2026, will include augmented-reality technology and will be smaller and lighter than Snap’s prior products, Snap said.
Meta declined to comment. Luxottica and Prada could not be reached.
Bloomberg News first reported about the Oakley Meta glasses in January.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the month of Meta and EssilorLuxottica’s partnership extension.
WATCH: Meta’s Orion AR glasses prototype.