Google Might Be Trying to Steal Ray-Ban’s Partnership from Meta

• Meta has been in talks with EssilorLuxottica (owner of Ray-Ban) about acquiring a 5% stake in the company.
• The duo has already collaborated twice before to create Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
• However, reports suggest that Google has also approached EssilorLuxottica to put its AI model Gemini in the company's future smart glasses.
• Google's plans are not likely to hamper Meta's deal, though. According to people familiar with the matter, Meta's deal is at an advanced negotiation stage and if everything goes as planned, it will most definitely invest in Ray-Ban.

The demand for smart glasses is on a steady rise and two of the biggest tech firms-Meta and Google-are apparently fighting for the same prize, i.e., a deal with Ray-Ban makers.

Ray-Ban is a luxury sunglasses and eyewear brand that was launched in 1936 and is owned by EssilorLuxottica. It's currently the largest eyewear company in the world, hence the tussle between Meta and Google.

According to recent reports, Meta has been in talks with EssilorLuxottica to acquire a five percent stake in the company. So, according to EssilorLuxottica's current market value (86.50 billion euros), Meta's shares would be worth approximately 4.33 billion euros.

For Meta, the benefits of this partnership go beyond financial gain. This deal could give it a strong hold over the smart glasses industry.

It's important to note that although this is the first time Meta has decided to invest directly in the eyewear company, the duo has collaborated twice before; the latest one was last year.

The new generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses sold more in its first few months than the first generation glasses did in two years. Clearly, smart glasses have the potential to be the next massive trend, especially with the rise of vloggers and people's interest in cool" tech.

According to another report by the Wall Street Journal, a third generation of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses is expected to be ready by the end of 2025-just in time for the holiday season.Where Does Google Fit into This Whole Equation?

Meta and Ray-Ban have had a partnership the world knows about. However, Google was also reportedly in talks with Ray-Ban about putting its AI model Gemini in the company's future smart glasses.

However, Google's initiatives are not likely to hamper Meta's deal. Internal sources have revealed that the negotiations have reached an advanced stage and if everything goes well, Meta will almost certainly invest in the company.

No other details about Google's potential deal have come to light. It's also unclear whether Google wanted its Gemini AI to integrate with Ray-Ban glasses because EssilorLuxottica also owns other eyewear brands, such as LensCrafters, Oakley, and Sunglass Hut.

Google Faces Competition from Meta And Apple

Whatever it is that Google is planning to do, it better figure it out soon because Apple, another major rival, is also working on a new line of smart glasses.

Apple is making its own product (unsurprisingly) called Apple Glasses, which is a pair of augmented reality (AR) smart glasses that are expected to come out in 2027. With both Meta and Apple already in the race, Google can't afford to wait on the sidelines for too long.

On a final note, it'll be interesting to see how the smart glasses space builds (or crashes). I say this because we've seen a similar locking of horns between these companies in the virtual headsets segment-and that didn't turn out nearly as exciting, with customers not being too interested in the idea itself. Smart glasses, though, have the potential to be popular.

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