Meta, the world's top smart glasses maker, has released its first low-priced artificial intelligence (AI) smart glasses under its own brand.
Meta launched the "Meta Adventurer" and "Meta Fury" smart glasses, developed in partnership with eyewear company EssilorLuxottica, on Tuesday.
The products adopt a design similar to the "Wayfarer" of the "Ray-Ban" brand, which Meta first unveiled in 2023, with prices starting at $299 (about 450,000 won). That is less than half the $799 (about 1.2 million won) price of "Ray-Ban Display," which went on sale last year.
Meta also released "Starfire," an oval-shaped model created in collaboration with famous American media personality Kylie Jenner, for $399 (about 600,000 won). The products released this time carry Meta's own brand at the forefront, rather than applying EssilorLuxottica brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley.
These new products are equipped with "Muse Spark," the first AI model developed by Meta's Superintelligence Labs. Although the models do not have screens, they are equipped with speakers, a camera, and a microphone, allowing users to have voice conversations with AI, listen to music, and take photos and videos.
The Era of "Smart Glasses" Is Coming
The smart glasses business is growing rapidly. According to market research firm Omdia, global AI glasses shipments reached 8.7 million units last year, a 322% increase from the previous year. Of this, Meta's market share reached 85.2%. Chinese companies such as Xiaomi and Huawei followed.
While Meta is effectively leading the early market, major Big Tech firms including Google, Samsung Electronics, and Apple are also entering the AI glasses market one after another. In response, Meta is seeking to expand its preemptive advantage by widening its price range and product lineup.
The domestic release schedule for these new Meta products has not yet been announced. Last month, Meta officially launched "Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2" and "Oakley Meta" in Korea. The Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses were hits, selling more than 7 million units last year. Ray-Ban Meta experienced shortages in the U.S. market until early this year. The two products are being sold at department stores, duty-free shops, and optical stores in Korea. Oakley Meta can also be purchased at Oakley partner stores. Prices start at 690,000 won.
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