Meta Platforms Inc plans to debut two new Ray-Ban smart glasses models next week intended for prescription wearers.
While the company’s glasses – sold in tandem with EssilorLuxottica SA – have long supported prescription lenses, this will mark the first time the companies are introducing Ray-Bans designed specifically for that cohort, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The new models, which will come in rectangular and rounded styles, are expected to be sold primarily through traditional prescription eyewear channels, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing unannounced products. They do not represent a new generation of Meta’s smart glasses.
The social networking giant, which has made AI-enabled glasses a major part of its broader AI strategy, released its latest iteration of the Ray-Ban glasses last year, and also introduced its first model with a built-in display, the Meta Ray-Ban Displays.
Codenamed Scriber and Blazer, the prescription-focused versions were first spotted in US Federal Communications Commission filings by The Verge. Details about the design and prescription-first positioning haven’t been previously reported. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.
Earlier this year, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a broader push toward prescription users. On an earnings call, he noted that "billions of people wear glasses or contacts for vision correction,” adding that "it’s hard to imagine a world in several years where most glasses that people wear aren’t AI glasses.”
Meta has had early success with the smart glasses category, which other technology companies, including Apple Inc, are racing to match. Apple is planning to begin shipping its first glasses – models without displays or augmented reality – as soon as next year, Bloomberg News has reported. – Bloomberg
