Meta launches $499 Oakley smart glasses with 3K video and 8-hour battery

Meta has announced a new line of smart glasses developed in partnership with Oakley, with the limited-edition Oakley Meta HSTN model priced at $499 and available for preorder starting July 11th. The collaboration marks Meta’s expansion into the athletic performance market while building on the success of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have sold over two million pairs to date.

What you should know: The Oakley Meta glasses target athletes and active users with enhanced durability and performance features.
• The glasses offer IPX4 water resistance rating and double the battery life of Meta Ray-Bans, providing 8 hours of use with a charging case that extends power for up to 48 hours.
• The built-in camera now captures 3K video, a significant upgrade from the 1080p resolution in Meta Ray-Bans.
• Five frame and lens combinations will be available, all compatible with prescriptions for an additional cost.

Key details: The glasses maintain the core functionality of Meta’s existing smart eyewear while adding performance-oriented features.
• Like Meta Ray-Bans, the Oakley model includes a front-facing camera, open-ear speakers, and microphones built into the frame.
• Users can listen to music, conduct phone calls, and interact with Meta AI through voice commands.
• Meta AI can answer questions about what users are seeing and translate languages using the onboard camera and microphones.

Pricing and availability: The product lineup offers multiple price points and will launch across 15 countries.
• The limited-edition $499 model features gold accents and gold Oakley PRIZM lenses, available for preorder July 11th.
• Additional Oakley models with Meta’s technology will start at $399 and become available later this summer.
• The glasses will be sold in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark.

The bigger picture: Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica continues to expand beyond Ray-Ban into other premium eyewear brands.
• Meta recently signed a multi-year deal with EssilorLuxottica, the parent company behind Ray-Ban, Oakley, and other eyewear brands.
• EssilorLuxottica has disclosed plans to sell 10 million smart glasses with Meta annually by 2026.

What they’re saying: Meta executives indicate this is just the beginning of their performance-focused smart glasses strategy.
• “This is our first step into the performance category,” Alex Himel, Meta’s head of wearables, said. “There’s more to come.”