Meta AI smart glasses have officially landed in Australia, and for the first time, they’re not wearing a Ray-Ban or Oakley badge. This is Meta putting its own name on the box — and that alone tells you something about where the company thinks this category is headed.
According to Mediaweek, Meta and EssilorLuxottica launched the new Meta Glasses range locally on 24 June, available through Meta.com and selected retailers. The lineup covers three styles: Adventurer, Fury, and the Kylie Jenner-designed Starfire with the Adventurer and Fury starting at AUD $469, and the Kylie edition from AUD $629.
The hardware is essentially the same foundation as the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, which Meta says are the world’s best-selling AI glasses. What’s new is the branding, the frame designs, and the AI powering them. Meta’s freshly launched Muse Spark model, the first out of Meta Superintelligence Labs and built specifically for low-latency wearable inference. In plain terms: faster AI responses without killing the battery.
Feature-wise, you’re looking at hands-free photo and video capture, open-ear audio, voice commands, and live translation across 20 languages including Mandarin, Japanese, Hindi and Korean, which matters for a lot of Australian households and for those who like to travel overseas. Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours, and prescription lens compatibility is available.
I’ve never personally owned smartglasses or alike before but really like the concept. In the past, it definitely got a harsh welcome because this means anyone can record anything, anywhere without you realising it. Imagine being recorded in the train, or at a club where privacy matters. But being able to translate conversations in real time when you are traveling overseas or looking at navigation while driving does sound awesome.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been out for a while now and the feedback has been mixed great for some use cases, but not so good for others. So we’ll have to see how this Meta Glasses go.
At that price, it really does depend on what you’re buying them for. A frequent traveller who’d use the live translation feature daily? That would be an easy sell. But for casual users, the high price may not justify having one of these yet.
Competition is coming, though. Google is reportedly planning AI glasses with Warby Parker, and Samsung is reportedly working on its own pair. Meta’s advantage right now is simply that its glasses are on shelves, including Australian ones.
Meta AI smart glasses are available now through Meta.com/au and selected local retailers, starting at AUD $469.
