EssilorLuxottica to Launch New Smart Glass Features as it Expands Production Capacity
Eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica has announced plans to expand its capacity to produce smart glasses, Reuters has reported. Meta has collaborated with the manufacturer to produce Essilorluxottica smart glasses in its quest to lead the smart glasses industry.
With the expanded smart glasses production, the company will be able to produce up to 10 million units per year. The smart glasses maker will also be seeking to strengthen its partnership with Meta.
Growing Sales
Smart glasses come with an inbuilt computer and microphones that enable users to connect with devices such as smartphones through voice commands. Meta’s Ray-Bans smart glasses come with a mic, camera, audio, and AI assistant all wrapped into the frame. According to EssilorLuxottica’s Chief Executive Officer Francesco Milleri, the eyewear company has already sold in excess of 2 million pairs of smart glasses.
These Ray-Ban Meta sales date back to September 2023 when the two companies unveiled the glasses.
“The rate of activation and the time of utilization have been constantly increasing since the launch, showing that this product is becoming part of our daily life,” Milleri said during a post-results call with analysts.
EssilorLuxottica Meta partnership dates back to 2019. The collaboration led to the creation of two versions of Ray-Ban smart glasses. In 2024, the two companies entered a new long-term deal that is aimed at taking them to the next decade.
Late last year, Meta’s successful collaboration with EssilorLuxottica triggered a wave of smart glasses fear of missing out among big techs. Ray-Ban smart glasses were bestsellers in the majority of Ray-Ban stores across the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
New Brands and Features
As EssilorLuxottica boosts production of smart glasses, it will continue to innovate. New innovations will be driven by growth in usage rates and activations. The company plans to increase production in Southeast Asia and China to meet its annual targets. The company CEO said the eyewear maker is working on releasing new smart glass brands and features as it seeks to extend its subscription service.
“Consistently with our open model, we look at this product like a shared platform ready to embark on third-party brands and new functions, also in the form of subscription services”, Milleri added.
According to the CEO, the company’s expanded capacity for production of Ray-Ban Meta glasses will enable it to achieve its annual target of 10 million units by the end of 2026. The company hopes to use the expanded capacity to produce Nuance Audio glasses and other types of smart glasses that integrate open-aar hearing options.
Future of Wearable Tech
EssilorLuxottica’s initiative to extend production of smart glasses to other brands will involve exploring new collaborations. This expansion means that the future of wearable tech remains bright. The company’s ambitious growth plan is a clear reflection of a growing trend to extend tech beyond conventional uses.
EssilorLuxottica is doing this by integrating technology into items that people use everyday. It points into a future where services and devices will be more interconnected. The enhanced interconnectivity will affect many industries, from healthcare to consumer electronics. Essentially, the eyewear maker is effectively positioning smart glasses as versatile hubs. It’s doing this by highlighting the shift toward a more immersive and digitally connected lifestyle. This presents huge opportunities as well as challenges across the globe.
The company’s ramped up production will also enhance the prevalence of augmented reality eyewear and potentially reshape tech markets. Analysts expect EssilorLuxottica’s partnership with Meta to nudge global competitors into enhancing their research and development and invigorate traditional sectors like content creation, entertainment, and business landscapes. Investors will be monitoring how these tech advancements influence demand for related technologies in the coming years.
