Oakley took to social media today to share a preview of an upcoming product in partnership with Facebook parent company Meta, which is likely to be the Oakley-branded smart glasses that were rumored earlier this year.
Meta has already partnered with Ray-Ban to produce a pair of smart glasses, but in January, Bloomberg reported that Meta was working to bring the technology to Oakley sunglasses. Like the Meta Ray-Ban sunglasses, the Meta Oakley sunglasses will also have built-in cameras for taking photos and videos, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Ray-Ban glasses incorporate Meta AI technology that can answer the wearer’s questions about their surroundings. The glasses also feature speakers that can play music and answer calls.
Oakley's version of the Meta glasses may be based on the Oakley Sphaera glasses, with the camera located in the center of the frame. Meta will likely market the glasses to cyclists and other athletes who already wear Oakley sunglasses.
Oakley has not disclosed specific product details, and only the Meta and Oakley logos appeared in the trailer, but there are not many new products that the two companies may release. We’ll know more when the new product launches on June 20th.
Apple is rumored to be trying to catch up with Meta, the Cupertino-based company that is developing its own smart glasses with cameras. Apple's smart glasses are expected to feature cameras, microphones and artificial intelligence capabilities, similar to Meta's Ray-Bans. Both Meta and Apple are working on full augmented reality glasses, with Meta already showing off a prototype called the "Orion." Meta’s augmented reality glasses could be available as early as 2027.