Meta Oakley smart glasses revealed with an assist from pro athletes
On Friday, Meta announced the upcoming launch of its newest smart glasses, part of a collaboration with Oakley. The Oakley Meta HSTN will be available for preorder starting July 11 and they’ll retail for $499.
A press release states, "Our first product for athletes and fans alike, Oakley Meta HSTN (pronounced HOW-stuhn), based on the HSTN style of Oakley glasses, combines bold aesthetics with cutting-edge tech."
Meta calls the new wearable AI Performance Glasses, and they have some key differences from the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses that are already available.
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Some of the key upgrades with the Meta Oakley glasses include:
A longer battery life: Eight hours (or 19 hours on standby).
An improved camera: The smart glasses offer Ultra HD 3K video.
Onboard AI assistant: Users can “get answers to a range of questions.”
Like the Meta Ray-Bans, the new glasses will have an IPX4 water resistance rating and come with a charging case. Users can use the Bluetooth smart glasses to listen to music, take pictures, and record video.
We knew these glasses were coming, and Meta finally unveiled its collaboration with Oakley in a splashy video campaign on Friday. The video featured athletes such as Patrick Mahomes and Kylian Mbappé, as well as several surfers and skateboarders.
In the promo video, Mahomes says, “This is gonna change everything.”
OK, Mahomes.
That’s a bold, hyperbolic claim, but in line with comments made by Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is a big believer in smart glasses — the founder has even predicted this technology will one day replace mobile phones.
Zuckerberg has been the biggest booster of Meta’s smart glasses, and he often wears the glasses during panels and events. Like other leading tech companies, Meta is investing heavily in its smart glasses tech.
Samsung and Google are both working on their own smart glasses technology, both separately and together. Apple is also rumored to be exploring smart glasses.
Topics Meta
Timothy Beck Werth is the Tech Editor at Mashable, where he leads coverage and assignments for the Tech and Shopping verticals. Tim has over 15 years of experience as a journalist and editor, and he has particular experience covering and testing consumer technology, smart home gadgets, and men’s grooming and style products. Previously, he was the Managing Editor and then Site Director of SPY.com, a men's product review and lifestyle website. As a writer for GQ, he covered everything from bull-riding competitions to the best Legos for adults, and he’s also contributed to publications such as The Daily Beast, Gear Patrol, and The Awl.
Tim studied print journalism at the University of Southern California. He currently splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Charleston, SC. He's currently working on his second novel, a science-fiction book.
