Report: Meta plans to release Oakley smart glasses in 2025
Meta plans to launch Oakley-branded smart glasses and HUD glasses in 2025 as well as full-fledged AR glasses in 2027, Bloomberg reports.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman delivered an exclusive report on Meta's wearables hardware roadmap.
Here is a summary of the key information:
- Meta plans to launch Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (codenamed Supernova) in more countries.
- The technology will also be extended to other brands from Ray-Ban owner EssilorLuxottica, namely Oakley. The underlying model will be the Oakley Sphaera (see article image), and the project is codenamed Supernova 2. This wearable will have the camera in the center of the frame instead of in the corners. These new smart glasses are aimed at cyclists and other sports enthusiasts and are expected to be released in 2025.
- Meta is also planning a high-end product that will look more like the Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses (codenamed Hypernova), which is also expected to be released in 2025. The glasses will have a display in the lower part of the right lens that will be used for simple apps, smartphone notifications and to show photos taken with the glasses. The wearable could cost around $1,000, according to estimates from involved Meta employees who spoke to Bloomberg. That would make Hypernova more than three times as expensive as the cheapest version of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
- Meta is also testing a wristband (codenamed Ceres) to control Hypernova and is considering shipping it with the wearable. If the wristband fails Meta's tests and is not released, it will also be possible to control Hypernova via touch inputs on the temples, similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. The wristband is similar to the one that Meta showed last fall along with a prototype of AR glasses (codenamed Orion).
- Meta plans to make Orion available to developers to build and test software starting in 2026. Meta does not plan to commercialize this prototype; instead, a consumer-facing successor (codenamed Artemis) will be released in early 2027. The wearable is expected to be more technologically advanced and lighter than Orion.
- Meta is also developing two types of wearables to compete with Apple products. The first is a smartwatch that could work with Hypernova and display photos taken with the glasses. The smartwatch could be released in 2025 if Meta decides to commercialize it. Second, a competing AirPods product with built-in cameras and AI capabilities, which is still in the early stages of development and won't be released for a couple of years, if Meta decides to ship it at all.
The report can be seen as an update to a hardware roadmap that was leaked in early 2023. Unfortunately, Gurman's report does not include any information on Meta Quest branded headset products.
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