Smart glasses as a bestseller: Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses popular even without AI

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are the best-selling eyewear in 60 percent of Ray-Ban stores in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This was stated by EssilorLuxottica CFO Stefano Grassi when the quarterly figures were announced. Ray-Ban belongs under the umbrella of the optical company. The fact that the glasses are selling well in the USA is hardly surprising for Grassi – that is "obvious". However, he emphasizes that they are also a success in Europe. Meta AI is not yet available in the EU, but the artificial intelligence opens up numerous functions of the glasses.

The smart glasses, which are the result of a collaboration between Meta and Ray-Ban, have actually been around for more than a year. Now EssilorLuxottica calls them "one of the strongest drivers of the quarter".

Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are the second generation of smart glasses after the Ray-Ban Stories. The Stories could take videos and photos. The integrated cameras made the glasses interesting for influencers and creators, but less so for private individuals. The new Ray-Ban Meta Glasses also have speakers, a microphone and a touchpad in the temples. They can be used to listen to music or take calls. In April of this year, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta AI would be moving into the Ray-Bans.

Talking to your glasses thanks to AI

Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is possible to talk to the glasses. For example, you can ask Meta AI questions and let it navigate your way. However, a test at this year's Meta Connect shows that the answers are not always correct – as we are used to from AI. A set up with a miniature road with cars on it, some of which were slightly obscured, invited users to have the glasses count cars. The answer varied. However, Meta AI responded satisfactorily to other requests, such as questions about the most expensive and most popular car or the color of a car.

Other functions have also recently been made available, such as the creation of tasks: All you have to do is tell the glasses, "Hey Meta, remind me tomorrow that I want to buy this book." The next day, the glasses remind the wearer of the task, which is also saved in the app that comes with the glasses. The glasses can also be used to send WhatsApp voice messages and scan QR codes.

Glasses are currently being traded as a new device category. Mark Zuckerberg has been at the forefront of the trend. Judging by the sales figures, users seem to be jumping on the bandwagon. However, the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are not true augmented reality glasses. That is reserved for Meta's Orion, a pair of AR glasses that only exists as a prototype so far.

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, has a pair of augmented reality glasses on the market in the form of Spectacles. However, the stand-alone device is not yet available in Germany. They can be used to view overlaid elements in the environment and are controlled using your own hands and touchpads on the frame.

Google had actually abandoned its attempts to develop AR glasses. Google Glass was discontinued and support ended last year. However, at this year's Google I/O, a video showed a pair of smart glasses that could also be asked questions about their surroundings using AI. Not much is known about this, except that the glasses are being developed under the name Project Astra.

(emw)