Meta introduces cheap sunglasses without Ray-Ban

For the past three years, “Meta” and “Ray-Ban” have been equal in the field of smart glasses. Not anymore. Yesterday, I snuck on a couple of Meta sunglasses — no Ray-Bans — in three different colors and seven colors. One brand, I was told several times by different Meta enthusiasts, is a collaboration with TV star Kylie Jenner.

Meta could have built itself from scratch, but teaming up with EssilorLuxottica and the Ray-Ban brand was a smart move into the smart glasses space. The smart glasses of the past looked straight out of a sci-fi flick, or were just plain enough to be unattractive. Ray-Ban’s borrowing of its iconic silhouettes, name recognition, and cultural preservation helped give Meta sunglasses legitimacy. The fact that these smart glasses looked like normal glasses that you wouldn’t be ashamed to wear was a simple but inspired decision. However, the biggest problem with the glasses may be their association with Meta and its secretive history. In recent weeks, both The New York Times and Wired has said that the company is developing a facial recognition feature for its smart glasses.

A conspiracy theorist may wonder if removing the Ray-Ban trademark is an attempt by EssilorLuxottica to distance itself from Meta. Not really. If you look inside the new Meta Fury, Meta Adventurer, and Meta Glasses by Kylie, they all have the EssilorLuxottica name inside. (Even in small fonts that are hard to read in low light.) EssilorLuxottica helped design these glasses, as well as the nuts and bolts that go into manufacturing and shipping. According to Meta management, there is one main reason to drop Ray-Ban: cost. The Meta glasses start at $299, which is about $80 cheaper than the original price Meta Gen 2 Ray-Type.

“We just felt like we needed to have glasses at an affordable price, and we were trying to figure out what would work there.” (EssilorLuxottica) has glasses in the categories that are at a cheaper price, but they are not very well known, so there was no obvious fit there,” adds Alex Himel, vice president of Meta.

In terms of looks and specifications, Meta Glasses are not that unlike Ray-Bans. The internals are the same as the latest releases Ray-Ban Meta Optics modelswith long battery life. The Adventurer models have thinner ribs, while the Fury models come a little closer Meta Ray-Ban display and a stronger, chunkier frame. You can describe the Runner as large, and the Fury as very large. Kylie sunglasses have a very unique look with a Y2K look that I was told should be worn under your nose. To me, it conveys the “uninteresting Gen Z novelist” type. On my right, I am often told that there is a small stone in the upper corner of the left lens to give it personality. Looking at Kylie’s glasses, I doubt it Google, Samsung, and Gentle Monster maybe he won’t be too happy.

As a lifelong glasses wearer, the most interesting feature is the adjustable nose and temple tips. The nose pumps can be pressed and clicked in three different positions, while the temple tips have a wire that allows you to bend them smoothly. Like the Display and Style Optics, the Meta Glasses also have additional hinges, which allow their faces to be more comfortable. Another plus: The lenses support a wide range of prescriptions, from -12 to +2.25. (Although you should go to an eye doctor to get prescriptions stronger than -6.)

Regardless of what you think of the Meta, on paper, these are all features that make these glasses appealing to the masses. Unless people are willing to look at Meta history.

While playing with the Meta Lenses, it was hard not to notice that the lens looks smaller than previous Ray-Ban lenses. Technically, Himel tells me, this is unusual this Meta Mirrors. It was also launched in the month of March with a line of synthetic optics. Even so, a back from facial expressions and mirrors using Meta mirrors harassing women it is on top of most of the media at the event.

“We know there’s a lot of manipulation these days, and there’s a number of ways people are doing it,” says Himel, noting that Meta has seen an increase in actors misusing its products as they become more popular. “If people aren’t comfortable with you wearing glasses, not only do we think it’s bad, but we wouldn’t be in business. You should see some changes from us soon, where we’re looking to address that directly.”

Himel didn’t reveal what those privacy changes would be, but added that Meta is aggressively discussing internally how to deal with the privacy crisis — and how to set a precedent for the future.

He said: “In general, we want to find places that do the same thing. For Himel, it would be bad for people who spend money on Meta products, only to find that glasses are banned in public places or other events – which is since to be reality. The problem is not a secret, either. As Meta leans towards AI as a way to kill these glasses, the company must also contend with how countries and states are approaching AI regulations.

“If there are different laws in the states or places you go, it’s just difficult for people. It’s also difficult for us, because then we can’t do one thing,” says Himel. “We’re trying to be part of that conversation and trying to get it to a place where, (the policy) is sustainable and we think we can get to the right place where people get the most benefits and are comfortable.”

That all sounds good, but Meta needs to deliver now – openly, quickly, and in a way that shows it’s truly committed to being a leader in creating good privacy and respect policies in this space. The first step would be to be strict about security and privacy measures. Himel points to the early days of the smartphone as an example of a technology that initially caused concern that eventually became popular. While this is true, there is one major problem with that model. Cell phones had obvious “killers” that made secret sales seem appropriate. Smart glasses still find him.

In terms of “killer use cases,” Meta is four times higher than AI. All new Meta glasses are launched with it Muse Sparkthe first example from Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. (It will also be arriving on older Ray-Ban and Oakley sunglasses in the US and Canada via the current program.) Apparently, this means more practical glasses.

In my hands, I was told that the Meta AI will now be stronger. I can talk to them naturally and get intelligent answers. AI now supports 14 additional languages, including Arabic, Japanese, Mandarin, Hindi, and Korean. Pedestrian-oriented navigation is also coming to Meta’s mirrorless glasses. Later this month, there will be a new “power photo” that takes multiple frames and then produces the best one.

I didn’t try all of them, but I did get a few live demos. The live Mandarin translation was smooth, although I did experience a smidge of latency, possibly due to all the dialogue going on. Continuous conversation was easy, although the Meta AI is still chatty Cathy. Obviously, AI will be good at advice. In a room with a tray full of particles, the Meta AI — in the words of Kylie Jenner — responded to “feelings” by asking for information about colors, vibes, and emotions. When I responded with a “purple keychain charm,” Meta-as-Kylie told me to think about charms that look like grapes or maybe lavender donuts, and that these could easily be found on Etsy or Instagram. The usual answers, but better than the ones I got when I tried to ask Meta AI on controls last year. I also asked Meta AI to estimate the calories of a plate of canapés. Meta-as-Kylie gave me a rough estimate of 280 calories, but admitted she wasn’t sure about the prosciutto and fig concoction.

In the end, it was a slightly better version of what I had tried before. I have to test it enough in everyday life, although I doubt if Muse Spark (or Gemini, or any kind of AI) is smart enough to go beyond what people complain about in this secret. However, these are affordable smart glasses, well made, in many colors, styles, tips, and fits. But, as I’ve said before, hardware hasn’t been Meta’s problem for a while now.

Photography by Victoria Song/The Verge