Meta leads smart glasses market amid 139% shipment surge

The smart glasses market experienced a 139% year-over-year growth in the second half of 2025, driven largely by Meta's AI-enabled products. Meta captured 82% of shipments, with AI glasses making up 88% of the total. This surge highlights the rising popularity of advanced eyewear, though prices remain a barrier.

The global smart glasses market saw significant expansion in the second half of 2025, with shipments increasing 139% compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from Counterpoint Research. This growth was predominantly fueled by AI-integrated models, which comprised 88% of all smart glasses shipped during that time. Meta emerged as the clear leader, accounting for 82% of the market share through its portfolio of AI smart glasses.

Key contributors to Meta's dominance included the first- and second-generation Ray-Ban AI Glasses, which boosted seasonal demand. Additionally, the Oakley Meta HSTN and Oakley Meta Vanguard models represented more than 30% of shipments in the final quarter of 2025. Demand extended beyond Meta to Chinese manufacturers such as Li Auto, Rokid, and Bolon, though Meta's offerings were the top sellers.

Users and reviewers have praised certain aspects of these devices. Feedback highlighted strong video performance in the second-generation Ray-Ban AI Glasses, while the Oakley Meta Vanguard earned positive remarks for its design, photography capabilities, and audio features. CNET editors noted appreciation for the Ray-Ban Gen 2's enhanced battery life and video quality, along with its compatibility with previous lens designs. However, battery performance remains an area needing further improvement.

Despite the momentum, challenges lie ahead. The average price for AI smart glasses climbed to $360 in the second half of 2025, up from $347 in the first half of the prior year. Counterpoint anticipates continued robust growth into 2026, with new entrants and expansions from existing brands, but escalating prices—potentially worsened by ongoing memory shortages—could temper consumer adoption.

Makala yanayohusiana

Illustration of a person using Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses displaying AR apps and games, for a news article on developer access.
Picha iliyoundwa na AI

Meta opens ray-ban display glasses to third-party app developers

Imeripotiwa na AI Picha iliyoundwa na AI

Meta announced Thursday that it is opening its Ray-Ban Display glasses to third-party developers for apps and games. The move expands options for the $800 device introduced last fall.

Meta has introduced new frame styles for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that support prescription lenses, starting at $499 for preorder in the US with availability from April 14. The update includes AI features for nutrition logging and message summarization, alongside expanded international availability. Additional enhancements cover Oakley models and Ray-Ban Display glasses.

Imeripotiwa na AI

Meta plans to unveil two new Ray-Ban AI glasses models tailored for prescription lens users next week. The glasses, available in rectangular and rounded styles, will be sold through traditional eyewear channels. Bloomberg reports this marks the first time Meta and Ray-Ban target this group specifically with such designs.

Captioning smart glasses that turn spoken words into real-time subtitles are gaining attention as accessibility tools. WIRED's testing highlights one standout model for its balance of features and comfort.

Imeripotiwa na AI

Meta has ended its outsourcing contract with Kenyan firm Sama on April 30, 2026, leaving over 1,100 workers jobless. The move follows February reports and a March class-action lawsuit alleging privacy breaches from Sama workers reviewing sensitive footage from Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. Sama disputes the claims, while Kenya's data watchdog investigates.

China's GPU leaders Cambricon and MetaX reported strong first-quarter results driven by demand for local AI chips. Cambricon's revenue jumped 160 per cent year-on-year to 2.89 billion yuan (US$423 million), with profit soaring 185 per cent to 1 billion yuan. The Beijing-based firm attributed the growth to a 'sustained surge in the AI industry’s computing power demand'.

Imeripotiwa na AI

WIRED reported on June 4 that code for an unreleased facial recognition feature called NameTag was found in Meta's AI app. The feature is designed for the company's smart glasses but remains inactive.

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