Ray-Ban Meta Sales Triple as Glasses Become ‘Next Computing Platform’

EssilorLuxottica, which partners with Meta on artificial intelligence (AI) glasses, reported Monday (July 28) that the sales of those Ray-Ban Meta glasses were up more than 200% in the first half of the year.

The designer, manufacturer and distributor of vision care products, eyewear and MedTech solutions also highlighted new and upcoming smart glasses and MedTech products in a Monday press release.

EssilorLuxottica said in the release that the Oakley Meta AI glasses announced in June will be available later this summer. The first product from this brand, Oakley Meta HSTN, will include Ultra HD 3K recording, open-ear speakers incorporated into the frames to deliver music and podcasts, and enough battery life to power up to eight hours of typical use and up to 19 hours on standby, according to the release.

The company also highlighted its rollout of Nuance Audio in the United States and Italy in February and its subsequent expansion to France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. Nuance Audio is a MedTech solution that incorporates hearing aid software into smart glasses, per the release.

“We are leading the transformation of glasses as the next computing platform, one where AI, sensory tech and a data-rich healthcare infrastructure will converge to empower humans and unlock our full potential,” EssilorLuxottica Chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri and Deputy CEO Paul du Saillant said in the release. “The success of Ray-Ban Meta, the launch of Oakley Meta Performance AI glasses and the positive response to Nuance Audio are major milestones for us in this new frontier.”

AI is driving a smart glasses boom, with several companies betting on these products to become the next popular connected wearable, PYMNTS reported in February.

These AI-powered smart glasses are encased in traditional frames of various styles, so users don’t look out of place in public, but they carry serious electronics to power AI capabilities like online searches and translations.

EssilorLuxottica announced in September that the company and Meta formed a new long-term agreement that extends their collaboration on smart eyewear technology into the next decade. The company said the deal built on the success of their Ray-Ban Meta glasses and set the stage for future innovations in wearables.

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