Meta is launching new, inexpensive smart glasses under its own brand

Meta said Tuesday it will launch a new line of smart glasses, dubbed Meta Glasses, starting at $299. These glasses are made in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, but unlike the tech giant’s other smart glasses, they don’t carry Ray-Ban or Oakley branding.

Meta Glass eyeglasses are available in many countries starting today in a variety of colors and lenses.

Meta continues its push into wearables as competition in this space heats up. It is worth noting that Meta and EssilorLuxottica are the largest players in this space, with an estimated market share of more than 80%, according to data from Counterpoint Research.

Meta Glasses do not have a screen, but they do come with a camera and personal speakers. There is a dedicated button that defaults to launching the Meta AI Assistant, or you can customize the button to launch a specific feature.

Meta claims that these new glasses have over 8 hours of battery life, and the on-the-go charging case provides up to 40 hours of additional use.

The first pair of new glasses, called “Meta Adventurer,” features a rectangular shape and is available in standard and large sizes. The “Meta Fury” frame is boxy and resembles popular styles of men’s eyeglasses. Most notably, “Meta Glasses by Kylie” features a thin oval frame designed in collaboration with American supermodel Kylie Jenner.

The Meta AI assistant on these new glasses can answer questions about everything from sports scores to local restaurant choices, can understand what you’re seeing, and help manage your daily life, Meta says.

The company said that these display-less glasses will soon support a “pedestrian navigation” feature, which provides turn-by-turn directions for getting around. Meta is also adding support for 14 new languages ​​to the live translation feature, including Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, and Korean.

Meta’s new smart glass lineup comes a week after Snap unveiled Specs, its long-awaited consumer smart glasses, with a hefty $2,195 price tag.