Meta’s smart eyewear lineup gets a refresh with new designs, live translation, and a deeper Instagram tie-in.
Meta is rolling out a fresh batch of updates for its Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses — think new colorways and a boost of AI smarts. In a recent blog post, the company announced that the Skyler frame now comes in “Shiny Chalky Gray” paired with Transitions Sapphire lenses. There are also new options for fans of the Skyler: you can now pick up a Shiny Black variant with G15 Green lenses, or opt for clear lenses if that’s more your style.
Translation and messaging go hands-free
On the software side, Meta’s live translation feature, which was previously limited to select regions, is now getting a broader release. This update lets you translate conversations between English, French, Italian, and Spanish — all without needing to be online, as long as you’ve downloaded the language packs ahead of time. The translation happens in real-time right through the glasses, and for your conversation partner, a translated text will show up on their smartphone.
Coming soon: you’ll be able to send and receive Instagram direct messages, share photos, and even make audio or video calls straight from your glasses. This rounds out the lineup, building on existing support for WhatsApp, Messenger, and native messaging apps on both iPhone and Android.
Smarter music and AI features expand
Meta is also opening up access to music apps like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Shazam beyond just the US and Canada — for users with English set as their default language. You can ask Meta AI for details about the song you’re listening to, adding a bit more “smart” to your soundtrack.
Stateside and in Canada, the “Live AI” feature is about to go mainstream, letting you chat more naturally with Meta AI — no more repeating “Hey Meta” every time you want to ask a question. The AI can also “see” what you see and tailor its responses accordingly.
Starting today, Meta AI on Ray-Ban Meta glasses is expanding to more countries in the EU. Next week, users will start getting the ability to ask Meta AI about whatever’s in their line of sight — a feature that just landed in the UK. Meta is also gearing up to launch the Ray-Ban Meta glasses in Mexico, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Smart Glasses find their audience
Meta AI arrived in over 60 countries outside of North America in March, but only on apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Users of Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses and Meta Quest VR headsets were left empty-handed for the time being. However, it is not surprising that Meta is expanding its AI capabilities to smart glasses first, as these stylish glasses are becoming increasingly popular.
According to EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri, sales have topped two million units in 2024. Ambitions for the next-gen smart glasses are high. Zuckerberg is aiming for sales of five to ten million units, and EssilorLuxottica is planning to ramp up annual production capacity to over ten million glasses by the end of 2026.
What do you think of the new features?
