• by Colin Kirkland , January 22, 2025

Building off the growing success of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Meta is planning to release new AR smart glasses in partnership with sports retailer Oakley later this year, according to a recent report from Bloomberg.

Internally referred to as “Supernova 2,” Meta's Oakley-branded glasses will most likely be based on the brand's performance sport-centric “Sphaera” model. Based on the report, the smart glasses will differ from Meta's Ray-Ban AR models by moving the cameras from the side of the glasses to the center of the frame in attempts to enhance athletic benefits.

Meta's connection to Oakley stems from the tech giant's current relationship with the brand's parent company EssilorLuxottica, which also owns Ray-Ban.

By extending its partnership with the global eyewear company, Meta has the chance to bring its AR technology to a new market, which could include professional athletes, depending on the final product. Due to EssilorLuxottica's ownership of dozens of other major eyewear brands, including Burberry, Chanel, Coach, and Jimmy Choo, Meta is setting itself up to be the leader in commercial smart glasses.

Bloomberg's report comes soon after Meta announced updates to its Ray-Ban models, rolling out live AI features, and planning to add a screen inside the sunglasses that would show notifications or responses from Meta's virtual AI assistant.

Internally described as “Hypernova,” Meta's upcoming Ray-Bans model with a display screen on the bottom portion of the right lens are projected to cost around $1,000, compared to the current model's $299 starting price.

Overall, Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have been popular with consumers, becoming the top-selling glasses brand in 60% of all Ray-Ban stores across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in Q4, according to Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica.