- New Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, created by Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica, have seen a surge in sales, exceeding their predecessors.
- The success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses can’t be separated from its pricing, features, and form factor.
OUR TAKE
AI big model popular in 2023, wearable devices become new application scenarios. From the product form, TWS headphones, smart watches and AR smart glasses become the three mainstream terminals equipped with AI technology. However, the functions of the current AI wearable devices can be realised on smartphones, and the exception occurs in the smart glasses track. The first to surprise the market is the Ray-Ban Meta, which born from the collaboration between Meta and EssilorLuxottica, and the sales of this eyewear have exceeded expectations, and the shipment of the new model with AI functions has reached one million pairs.
–Elodie Qian, BTW reporter
What happened
The latest Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, born from the collaboration between Meta Platforms and EssilorLuxottica, have seen a surge in sales, exceeding the two-years performance of their predecessors within few months. EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri said on Tuesday in Milan.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses, introduced last October, offers users the ability to livestream their experiences to Facebook and Instagram followers directly from the glasses. The glasses are equipped with Meta AI, providing real-time information about the items in the user’s view.
A Ray-Ban Meta glasses weighs less than 50g and has a starting price of $299, solving the pain points of weight and cost. Compared to the first generation, the second generation has the same styling and price, with dramatically improved camera quality and sound quality, more than 30% longer battery life and charging speed, and upgraded chips and storage. At the same time, the product launches in April 2024 with AI functionality.
Milleri attributes the success of the new model to a better understanding of consumer expectations. “Today people’s expectations are clearer.. hence the success of the second generation,” he said on the sidelines of an event in Milan.
However, the AI feature on the Meta’s Ray-Ban is currently limited to the US and Canada market and not allowed in Europe. “In Europe we are still waiting for the decision of the new Artificial Intelligence Act, which we hope will arrive soon,” Milleri added.
Also read: Meta to integrate AI into Ray-Ban smart glasses
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Why it’s important
The first generation of Ray-Ban Smart glasses was released in September 2021 and by February 2023, only about 300,000 pairs had been sold. By September 2023, Meta came on board to infuse the Ray-Ban Smart glasses with an AI Big Model driver, setting the starting price at $299 after the official launch.
In the Q4 2023 quarter alone, Ray-Ban Meta glasses sales exceeded shipments for the full life cycle of a generation of eyewear. It has shipped more than 1 million pairs in the three quarters to date, and could ship more than 1.5 million pairs for the entire year, and continues to be out of stock.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses’ success can’t be separated from its pricing, features, and form factor. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses start at $299, which is a bit lower than most AR glasses, but its features aren’t that bad, as it integrates the Meta’s Llama model, which allows it to translate in real time and answer users’ questions. The presence of a camera and audio inputs/outputs also makes the glasses “hear and see”. Ray-Ban Meta glasses have redefined the experience of filming by incorporating filming into one of the most commonly used and “low-profile” eyewear, shattering the imagination that has long been associated with eyewear.
This new generation of smart glasses marks a significant step forward in consumer adoption of wearable technology, setting a precedent for future innovations in the field.
