Meta's next smart glasses, produced in partnership with Ray-Ban owner Luxottica, could be released soon. As spotted by Lowpass's Janko Roettgers, a listing for one of Luxottica Group's smart glasses has appeared in the FCC's database, and we're inclined to believe that the documents are specs for the new product.
The original Ray-BanStories let you take photos and videos with the camera next to the lens and view what you captured on the companion app. They also come with microphones and speakers to capture and playback audio. However, it has not caused enough impact since its release. The Wall Street Journal also reported in August that less than 10% of people who bought smart glasses used them every month.
Despite low usage, Meta appears to be moving the product towards its second generation. Roettgers said in August that the new smart glasses would allow users to live stream video to Facebook and Instagram and even hear comments from people watching the live broadcast: "Live broadcasters will be able to communicate directly with their viewers, and the glasses can also forward comments through audio from built-in headphones." The Wall Street Journal reported that the new smart glasses will have "longer battery life and better cameras" and are scheduled to be released in the fall or spring of 2024.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company will be hosting its Connect conference on September 27-28, so maybe we'll hear more about these new smart glasses at the show. At that event, we already knew that Meta planned to share more information about MetaQuest 3, a game scheduled to launch this fall. The device also recently passed FCC certification, so I'm guessing Meta will meet the deadline.