Essential Information
- A new collaboration between Oakley and Meta has been announced, set for June 20th.
- Meta has launched a dedicated Oakley Meta Instagram channel, hinting at a new product line akin to Ray-Ban Meta.
- The upcoming announcement is expected to detail Oakley Meta smart glasses, which are rumored to include a centered camera akin to the Oakley Sphaera models.
- Previous leaks indicate that these glasses will be more focused on sports compared to the Ray-Ban Metas.
After months of speculation, the partnership between Oakley and Meta is now confirmed. Meta teased the collaboration on social media with a new Oakley Meta Instagram account, indicating that “the next evolution is coming on June 20.”
We first learned about the potential Oakley Meta collaboration in January. Leaks pointed to the development of new smart glasses referred to as “Supernova 2,” which would serve as a direct continuation of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, codenamed “Supernova.”
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses feature a camera on the left side, while the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses are expected to have a camera positioned in the center.
It’s rumored that the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses will utilize the Oakley Sphaera frames. I created a mock-up above using Sphaera frames and featuring an Xreal Eye camera centrally located just below the nose bridge, similar to the positioning on Xreal One series smart glasses.
While we don’t have official images of these new Oakley glasses yet, this should give you a glimpse of their potential appearance.
More Athletic Than Ray-Bans
Featured above are the ENGO 2 HUD smart glasses, resembling several Oakley designs. The ENGO 2 HUD features a small screen to assist athletes in tracking stats without looking at a watch. However, it’s unlikely that Meta will include a display in the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses. Instead, these frames will probably focus primarily on streaming and recording capabilities.
If the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses share characteristics with the Ray-Ban Metas, expect the battery and electronics to be located in the arms rather than on the nose bridge, as seen with ENGO. While Meta may consider integrating fitness-related features like a heart rate monitor, no credible rumors currently suggest this will happen.
We anticipate that the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses will cater more effectively to athletes compared to the Ray-Ban Metas. Recently, Michael Hicks from Android Central ran a marathon while using the Ray-Ban Metas. He noted that, although the functionality was excellent, the fit wasn’t quite suitable for running. The Oakley Meta Smart Glasses are expected to address this with a design better tailored for athletic pursuits such as running, cycling, and other sports.
Additionally, we expect Meta to unveil a third generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses later this year, projected to feature a display in one of the lenses. However, we likely won’t witness this launch until Meta Connect 2025 in mid-September.
As of now, the Oakley Meta Smart Glasses will mark the first major commercial announcement of smart glasses from Meta for 2025. Considering that Ray-Ban Metas have already sold 2 million units and counting, we are intrigued to see how the popularity of Oakley Meta glasses will compare.