Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has announced that the company is building its first smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban and they could prove to be a hit. This is not the first time that the social media titan has been rumored to be dabbling with smart glasses. Back in 2019, Facebook was said to be working with Luxottica Group — the parent company of Ray-Ban — to create a pair of AR glasses codenamed Orion. Back then, it was reported that these glasses would be a full-fledged phone replacement, instead of serving as a companion device tethered to a phone. In September of 2020, Zuckerberg cleared that the upcoming glasses won’t classify as true AR glasses, and will instead serve as a stepping stone.

More recently, Facebook's VP of AR & VR, Andrew Bosworth revealed that the company is pondering over the idea of integrating facial recognition tech in its wearable device. However, the plans are not written in stone, as facial recognition is a debatable topic and many would even classify it as an invasion of their privacy. It is worth mentioning here that Google’s own ambitious smart glasses project tanked due to similar privacy concerns. However, that doesn’t mean work in the field has stopped. On the contrary, the likes of Snap and Amazon are already in the game, and Apple’s own AR Glasses are reportedly in the pipeline as well.

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Facebook doesn’t want to be left behind in the competition, especially with its futuristic metaverse aspirations and the billions of dollars it is spending to realize that vision. During the company’s latest earnings call, Zuckerberg revealed that Facebook’s smart glasses made in partnership with Ray-Ban will retain the iconic form factor that the brand is known for, and will also come with some neat tricks up their sleeve. However, Zuckerberg didn’t go into detail on what any of those neat tricks are.

Rocking Ray-Bans As You Enter The Metaverse

Facebook Making Smart Glasses With Help From Ray Ban

The Facebook chief mentioned that the goal isn’t to sell these devices at a huge premium and fill its coffers. Instead, the target is to make them as affordable as possible so that more people can purchase them and help create a sustainable device ecosystem. Zuckerberg also notes that the mission is to serve as many people as possible. While the true purpose behind that statement is debatable, the strategy is sound. Lowering the price barrier for its smart glasses is a sure-shot way to generate a buzzing ecosystem full of possibilities, and of course, take an early lead in the segment. Plus, retaining the classic Ray-Ban design means fashion-conscious buyers will happily lap it up, compared to the odd-looking glasses from Snap, Amazon, Razer, and Vuzix.

These smart glasses are one piece of the puzzle that Facebook can use to win over the tech-savvy and fashion-mongering audiences at the same time. However, the biggest advantage that Facebook has up its sleeve is a service ecosystem. The eponymous platform, alongside Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, make up for the bulk of today’s social media and communication demands. If the company can somehow integrate these services with useful experiences and money-making shopping tools on its upcoming Ray-Ban smart glasses, it is highly likely to reap the benefits. Without a doubt, Facebook has a chance to create a solid product and lead the trend of smart glasses — right into the metaverse.

Next: New Apple Patents Reveal AR Headset Might Have 2 Groundbreaking Features

Source: Facebook