Meta is said to be currently collaborating with the Italian luxury fashion brand Prada in creating a new AI-powered smart glasses line addition to the Ray-Ban series it already has and the new rumored Oakley line of glasses.This step indicates that Meta is willing to expand wearable technology and integrate its experimental AI technology, with haute-couture designs to attract non-tech-savvy customers who do not belong to the traditional audience of the tech-intensive industry.
The alliance extends that Meta already has with essential Luxottica, the eyewear so called that owns Ray-Ban and Oakley. The early models of the Ray- Bans smart glasses released at the end of 2023 have already managed to sell more than two million pieces and are currently receiving an upgrade in display capabilities to be able to notify and react to voice requests via Meta AI.
Smart eyewear will seem the next step, a logical extension of the Prada venture, and the use of Prada strong thick temple frames located exactly where cameras, chips and microphones can be fitted and then used.
What is more, it is reported that soon the Oakley Meta smart glasses that are designed with athletes and outdoor enthusiasts in mind will become available at around the price of 360 dollars, whereas their weather resistance is going to provide stronger characteristics than the previous Ray-Ban smart glasses models had to offer
Collectively, the Prada and Oakley collections signal Meta approach of expanding its platforms via fashion, which would help the company explore various consumer bases, whilst attempting to expand the possibilities of wearable AI.
This is a major step according to the industry analysts. Working with Prada a brand that is synonymous with design and quality, gathers the user-base more in the circles of luxury users and people with interest in fashion. One benefit of Prada eyewear frames is so thick: it provides space where the hardware equipment can be installed to enable AI functionality to execute on the gadget.
But the issues of privacy and social acceptability are still of a high order of the concern, and smart glasses with cameras and microphones are still a subject of concern as far as surveillance and ethics are concerned. Meta will have to go through these hurdles delicately in order to retain user confidence.
Along with the recent Prada collaboration and the next generation of Oakley and upgraded Ray-Ban, a bright picture of the future emerges: Meta is increasingly betting its hopes on AI native eyewear, hoping to make smart glasses the next popular computing accessory. With other tech giants, including Apple, Google, and Snap, keenly competing in the wearable technology marketplace. Meta might be able to count on its daring and fashion-forward attitude as an advantage of being able to bring its product to the marketplace first.
