Forget Ray-ban – Meta’s next smart glasses just got a surprise launch date and an exciting new partner

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Meta has just announced it’s partnering with Oakley on something new
Most likely, this is the long-rumored Oakley smart glasses
We’ll find out more on June 20

Oakley and Meta are officially partnering on something – I mean, it’s smart glasses, right? – and we’ll be finding out everything about it in just a few days on June 20, 2025.

Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, took to social media to share a bombastic promo video featuring the Meta and Oakley logos.

This announcement has been a long time coming. We first heard that Meta has been developing Oakley versions of its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses back in January, and it makes a lot of sense.

The Ray-Ban smart glasses are among Meta’s most popular gadgets, and as another EssilorLuxotica brand, Oakley, is in a prime position to try and get itself in on the smart glasses action too.

What is strange, however, is that Meta isn’t making this reveal at Meta Connect in September, as it normally would. Instead, according to Oakley’s website, “The next evolution is coming on June 20.”

As for what that evolution might look like, according to the leaks, the Oakley specs will be based on its Sphaera glasses. The specs of the glasses would seemingly be similar to the current model of Ray-Bans (ie, camera, no display), but would shift the camera to the center of the glasses frame, and include features to appeal to cyclists and athletes.

The Oakley Sphaera on a red and black background

(Image credit: Oakley)

Now, technically, Meta hasn’t specifically said we’re getting Oakley smart glasses, but given the previous leaks and that Oakley is a glasses brand, it is all but certain that’s indeed what we’re getting.

Bringing the fight to Android XR

This may have always been the plan, but given how unusual the timing is, I can’t help but feel this is a reaction to Google’s recent Android XR debut.

Five brands are working with Google to make Android XR glasses, including Samsung, Xreal, and Gentle Monster. Yet, until now, Meta has only had one partner.

Although Meta is hardly on the back foot, its key advantage is that its glasses are not only already available but also dominate the smart glasses space. And by launching its Oakley specs sooner rather than later, Meta’s not giving Android XR time to breathe.

We’re not expecting the first Android XR specs to launch until 2026, and that could cause trouble for the new XR operating system if the space is already saturated with great Meta specs.

A variety of Android XR headsets and glasses users in a collage

(Image credit: Google)

Another advantage of launching now is that it gives Meta’s other rumored smart glasses project space to own Meta Connect.

That’s, of course, its leaked smart glasses which will feature a screen. According to rumors, you’ll be able to see apps and notifications with a system that sounds identical to everything Google announced for its AR glasses.

Again, while Google was first to showcase next-gen consumer AR specs, Meta is seemingly set to be the first mainstream company to actually launch a pair, with that announcement still presumably set for Meta Connect 2025.

We’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces on June 20 and in September, but its Ray-Ban smart glasses continue to be one of my favorite gadgets of the past couple of years, and I’m ecstatic that it’s finally getting some hardware updates.

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