Meta Launches Cheaper AI Smart Glasses Starting at $299

Web Desk

June 24, 2026

Meta Platforms has rolled out this new, more affordable set of AI powered smart glasses, and honestly it feels like a continuation of the momentum that its Ray-Ban wearables built over the last year or so. They announced it on Tuesday, and the new Meta Glasses start at $299, which is a pretty big drop from the $800 price tag that came with last year’s Ray-Ban Display model.

So yeah, this move clearly points to Meta pushing harder into what the company calls “personal intelligence,” basically that long-term idea where wearable AI becomes the next big routine way people use tech day to day. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has already put billions toward this vision, and now these new glasses are another step toward making AI wearables easier to reach for regular consumers.

A New Look, Independent of Ray-Ban

Even though the glasses are still being produced with Luxottica, a major eyewear company, this release kinda stands out because it is the first Meta smart glasses line that isn’t tied to a well known brand name like Ray-Ban or Oakley. Instead, Meta is giving the product line its own distinct vibe and identity, which feels like a deliberate shift. The lineup includes a few fresh styles, including a rectangular frame option and a slimmer oval design that was developed with media personality Kylie Jenner. And that detail, I mean it suggests Meta is leaning into fashion appeal along with the practical, everyday functionality side.

Powered by Meta’s New In-House AI Model

Also, these glasses are notable because they are the first in Meta’s smart glasses lineup that run on Muse Spark, the debut model from the company’s Superintelligence Labs division. It kind of signals a shift, like Meta is planning to lean more on internally developed AI systems to power future hardware, rather than depending as much on outside tech.

Meta Still Dominates the Smart Glasses Market

According to data from the International Data Corporation, global smart glasses shipments hit 9.6 millions units last year and Meta alone accounted for roughly 76 % of that total. That dominant market share helps explain why the company is now expanding into a lower-cost tier, aiming to bring AI wearables to an even broader audience.

How It Compares to Snap’s New AR Glasses

The announcement comes just a week after Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, unveiled its own pair of augmented-reality glasses priced at a steep $2,195. The two products take noticeably different approaches: Snap’s glasses are built to overlay digital content directly onto a user’s view of the real world, while Meta’s new glasses focus more on text display and AI-driven interaction.