Ray-Ban Meta: the high-tech glasses that are making sales explode

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Who would have believed it& ;nbsp;? The Ray-Ban Meta stands out as the flagship product in 60% of Ray-Ban stores across several continents. Europe, the Middle East and Africa, three geographic areas in which this accessory is a huge success. Just a month ago, they came out in their second version, boosted with AI features. The result was immediate: they started selling like hotcakes. So we are a long way from the rather bitter failure of Ray-Ban Stories in 2022.

A successful marriage of style and technology

This collaboration between social media giant Meta and EssilorLuxottica, the world leader in optics, seems to be the winning formula. Stefano Grassi, CFO of EssilorLuxottica, does not hide his enthusiasm for this success: ” Ray-Ban Meta is a real success story. And this success is not limited to the United States, as one might expect. In Europe, these connected glasses dominate sales in more than half of our stores. It's a real treat “.

The giant of the optical industry is certainly rubbing its hands at the price of the object. Despite a starting price of $300 – nearly double the price of regular Ray-Ban models – that doesn't seem to put buyers off.

Really smart Ray Bans

The history of smart glasses is fairly recent, but it's already marked by various failures: Google Glass ? They were pioneers, but were too expensive and their design was… peculiar. Intel Vaunt ? The project was quickly abandoned for technical reasons. North Focals ? Sales were too modest and production was quickly stopped. Generally speaking, the features offered by the first generations of connected glasses were often considered insufficient to justify the investment.

Ray Ban Metas are not made of the same wood. Meta is continually improving them: reminders, timers, WhatsApp voice messages, QR code reading. With the second version, the possibilities are even greater thanks to artificial intelligence: live interaction with Meta AI (ChatGPT competitor), Spotify playlist controls, live translation, etc. This strategy of continuous improvement is bearing fruit, even if these glasses remain technologically modest, without an integrated screen, a technical limitation that EssilorLuxottica has not wanted to overcome for the moment.

Faced with this commercial success, the competition is organizing itself and does not intend to let itself be done in. Samsung and Google are reportedly developing their own models, while Apple is reportedly preparing its market entry for 2027. In the meantime, Meta and EssilorLuxottica have extended their collaboration until the 2030s, certainly promising several generations of smart glasses in the years to come.

• The AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta has become a flagship product, accounting for 60% of sales in Ray-Ban stores across multiple continents.
• The collaboration between Meta and EssilorLuxottica has transformed the Ray-Ban Meta into a global success, despite its relatively high price tag.
• The smart glasses market is preparing for more competition, with Samsung, Google and Apple developing their own models.

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