Meta reaches new deal with Ray-Ban in face of Google threat

After a period of disinterest, the smart glasses segment has experienced a boom in recent years. Products such as Snapchat Spectacles and Meta Ray-Ban glasses had a lot to do with it. A recent report revealed that Google wanted to “steal” Ray-Ban from Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Now, Meta has secured a new long-term deal with Ray-Ban to guarantee its exclusivity.

Previous reports suggested that Google was attempting to “hijack” the negotiations between Meta and Ray-Ban. The Mountain View giant wanted to rely on the brand’s experience in the segment to launch Gemini smart glasses. Sources previously stated that the advanced negotiations between Meta and the glasses brand were unlikely to collapse. That said, Facebook’s parent company has put an end to the story by reaching a new deal.

Meta reaches new long-term deal with Ray-Ban parent company

After the Google Glass project failed, many may be surprised to learn that the search engine company wants to try again in the segment. Moreover, the burgeoning niche appears to have established its key players. However, the tech industry has undergone significant changes over the last decade. The public has become more open to this type of product due to the growing need to share content on social platforms. Additionally, Google has developed a powerful tool, Gemini, which it could integrate into its glasses. The company even showed Project Astra, a multimodal assistant ideal for this type of product.

There’s no confirmation on how long the deal will last

EssilorLuxottica, the company behind Ray-Ban, confirmed the new deal with Meta. Both companies have been working together since 2019 on similar products. The latest launch in the lineup features built-in speakers and Meta AI-powered smart features. The leaked Apple Glass is even said to be similar to Meta Ray-Ban’s product after scrapping AR glasses. There are no specific details on how long the new long-term agreement will last. However, EssilorLuxottica stated that it will allow them to collaborate with Meta “in the next decade.”

Meanwhile, Google and Samsung are still working on their VR platform for headsets. Some speculate that this collaboration will eventually lead to the creation of smart glasses. For now, Google will have to find a new partner for its alleged Gemini smart glasses.