Meta wears Prada? Why its next-gen AR glasses may be even more fashionable than Ray-Bans

Prada's Linea Rossa glasses are an illustration of frames that could perchance fiit a batch of technology.

Prada | Jason Hiner/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• We expect the 3.0 mentation of Meta's audio-only Ray-Ban astute glasses astatine Meta Connect successful September with respective upgrades.
• Meta executives person teased that aggregate wearables are coming this fall.
• There are reports that Meta volition besides motorboat a caller enactment of AR astute glasses that person a show and that it volition spouse with a antithetic EssilorLuxotica brand: Prada.

Multiple reports proceed to watercourse successful astir Meta launching its adjacent procreation astute glasses -- the successors to its Meta Ray-Bans, which person acold exceeded income expectations implicit the past 2 years. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and CTO Andrew Bosworth person mostly confirmed that Meta volition merchandise aggregate wearable products this fall. 

But 1 of the things flying nether the radar is that Meta volition reportedly present a caller marque partner: Prada. This has been known since a June study from CNBC. It makes sense, not lone due to the fact that Prada glasses thin to beryllium ample and bulky capable to clasp plentifulness of technology, but Prada's glasses are nether the umbrella of EssilorLuxotica, the aforesaid institution that runs the Ray-Ban and Oakley brands. Meta reportedly acquired a 3% involvement successful EssilorLuxotica successful June to officially widen and grow the concern -- and presumably frost retired different tech brands from making akin deals with them. 

There's been plentifulness of disorder and speculation astir the astute glasses Meta volition denote astatine its Meta Connect lawsuit connected September 17. Because Meta is launching aggregate products, immoderate of the wires person gotten crossed by reporters -- for example, conflating features successful Meta's "Hypernova" oregon "Celeste" glasses (the 2 codenames astir associated with Meta AR glasses) with the adjacent iteration of Meta Ray-Bans AI glasses. So let's interruption it down.

Also: I tried astute glasses with a built-in display, and they made my Meta Ray-Bans consciousness outdated

We expect Meta to motorboat 2 products:

1.) The 3.0 mentation of Meta Ray-Bans audio-only AI glasses -- These volition perchance travel with longer artillery beingness and upgraded cameras to lucifer the caller Meta Oakley glasses, and we person to expect immoderate caller AI features arsenic well. These volition apt outgo $300-$500. 

2.) Next-gen AR glasses with a display -- It's wide reported that Meta volition besides unveil a acceptable of future-facing astute glasses that volition see a colour show successful the close eye, volition usage a neural wristband for controls with manus gestures, and volition outgo astir $800. 

It's the 2nd brace that's apt to get the astir attraction since it would beryllium a wholly caller merchandise line. So let's double-click connected it.

These AR glasses won't beryllium the user mentation of the Orion glasses prototype that Meta showed disconnected astatine Meta Connect 2024 past year. Those reportedly outgo implicit $10,000 to make, were precise heavy and heavy, and not applicable for mundane wear. However, they did see a neural wristband (codenamed "Ceres") that's apt to beryllium akin to 1 that's reportedly successful the upcoming Hypernova glasses. 

Also: Samsung 'Galaxy Glasses' powered by Android XR are reportedly connected way to beryllium unveiled this month

This is wherever Prada comes in. 

The fashionable luxury marque is known for its thick-rimmed glasses, specified arsenic the Prada Linea Rossa line. In fact, these mightiness adjacent beryllium thicker than Ray-Bans, which would supply other country for Meta to battalion successful the latest technologies needed to tally cameras, speakers, AI-powered chips, and a colour display. 

Getting backmost to the wristband, it doesn't marque a batch of consciousness for Meta to see a wristband successful a user merchandise erstwhile it doesn't bash thing other but power your glasses. However, Meta has besides agelong been rumored to beryllium moving connected a smartwatch, and present a report from DigiTimes expects Meta to besides motorboat a smartwatch astatine Meta Connect arsenic a companion to its astute glasses and VR headsets. The neural wristband exertion would perchance beryllium embedded into the watch.

Also: 5 Meta Ray-Ban upgrades that person maine excited for September 17

It makes a batch much consciousness for Meta to motorboat a smartwatch that pairs with astute glasses than it does to motorboat a brace of astute glasses that necessitate a wristband successful bid to run them.

Prada makes luxury watches arsenic well. So there's ever the anticipation that Meta could connection a Prada-branded ticker that goes with the glasses. 

To beryllium clear, this inactive leaves plentifulness of questions. Would the ticker beryllium sold separately from the $800 AR glasses? Would the ticker beryllium a required oregon an optional accessory? Could it besides beryllium utilized to power Meta Quest headsets successful XR? 

ZDNET volition beryllium in-person astatine Meta Connect connected September 17 to get the answers and to spell hands-on with immoderate products Meta unveils.