Meta’s newest revamp of their surprisingly popular smart glasses have arrived, but under another fashion label. Oakey Meta HSTN is a new line of AI-enabled glasses joining Meta Ray-Bans, but they’re coming with some notable improvements to go with their new design and slightly higher price.
Oakley, like Ray-Ban, is part of glasses-maker EssilorLuxottica’s portfolio. According to Meta’s head of wearable tech, Alex Himel, they’re just one part of a lineup of Oakley products to come. And, judging by questions I asked, sports and fitness features could be on their way soon.
“The number one complaint we get about the glasses right now is battery life,” Himel says of the existing Meta Ray-Bans, but is optimistic that the new Oakleys will be better. “We’re offering a pretty substantial boost, 40% better with both the hardware and software improvements.”
The $499 limited edition version of the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses are being sold first, with more models coming later in the summer.
Camera and battery boosts
The new round-framed glasses look sharp at first glance, and they should also bring some welcome performance boosts. Battery life according to Meta can last up to eight hours on a charge now, instead of the 3-4 hours I normally get on Ray-Bans. The onboard camera, still shifted off to the side, can shoot higher-res wide-angle video, at 3K resolution this time. The glasses will be available to pre-order July 11 starting with a $499 special limited-edition version, following up “later in the summer” with prices that range $399 and up for other models, with a variety of light-filtering lens options.
According to Himel, the new glasses use the same Qualcomm chipset as the one-and-a-half-year-old Meta Ray-Bans (not Qualcomm’s upcoming chipset), but can do more thanks to camera and battery improvements and optimizations, including a new set of batteries in the arms. Session-based live AI, currently limited to half an hour or so on current Ray-Bans, could see a boost on these new Oakley models. Himel also told me that the glasses are capable of a lower-power camera mode that could work at lower resolutions for longer AI-enabled sessions, although when that feature might be unlocked is unclear.
The bumped-up 3K video resolution (at an unusual 2203×2938, in portrait mode) should make for clearer on-the-fly videos, and Himel sees a lot of use for sports or other extreme activities, although the IPX4 water resistance still isn’t meant for water immersion. I asked about possibilities for zoom functions, something I’d like in camera glasses. Sadly, there are no plans for that now, but Himel sees other ideas in the works. “I think you’ll see us launch a number of features at the intersection of taking photos and videos and AI, which I think will be great.”
Himel also sees promise in iOS 26 support for auto-aware Wi-Fi and background processing modes that could possibly help glasses share photos and videos better with iPhones.
A clear pair in their charge case, which should give about 48 hours of additional battery life.
Sports and fitness functions to come?
One missing piece, to me, still lies in how Meta’s increasingly sports and fitness lifestyle-targeted glasses don’t work directly with fitness apps on phones and watches. Himel sees a lot of possibilities to come. “I really strongly believe that in the next generation of wearables, which is glasses and novel form factors, health and wellness will still be a focus — but in a new version of that. When we talk about AI, what might be possible, the potential is huge.”Â
How soon could fitness features like this arrive? “I think you should look forward to Connect,” Himel says, referring to Meta’s September-timed AR/VR developer conference where Meta’s glasses and headset updates tend to arrive…and when Meta is expected to launch a more advanced version of display-enabled glasses, too.
The fashion landscape for smart glasses is already ramping up fast: Ray-Ban and Oakley for Meta, and Warby Parker, Gentle Monster and Kering Eyewear for Google in 2026. The AI-enabled glasses space is already getting real, but these glasses could also be paving the way for display and AR-enabled glasses coming after that. And, with the battery life gains Meta’s promising for Oakleys, we may be getting closer to glasses that can actually handle more intensive always-on AI features next for periods longer than half an hour, with more connected functions on deck.
