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Meta is entering the retail space with a new pop-up dedicated to the Ray-Ban glasses. It opens November 8, and runs until December 31, in Los Angeles. At Connect 2024, Meta’s big press event, it gave a small peek into what the store will look like but is now bringing it to the public.
It’s not just to sell smart glasses either. Dubbed the Meta Lab, the pop-up will host stand-up comics and things like cooking classes. However, at the heart of the idea, are those Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which customers will get to go hands-on with.
Meta reported that 90% of their attendees at Connect 2024 attended the event, while 25% bought the glasses themselves. There’s no mention of whether or not the limited edition clear frames will return for the pop-up, as the 7,500 made quickly sold out.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses currently start at $299 and have been praised for their design. This is something that the pop-up intends to follow on from.
It is intended to reflect the Los Angeles culture. The announcement blog states things like a “deliberate nod to the tattoos that are so endemic in lowrider culture” in comparing choosing a particular frame and lens combination.
The glasses are part of Meta’s push into artificial intelligence, as it tries to compete with companies like OpenAI and Microsoft. In a recent update, the glasses can now send a notification to your phone to remind you about after taking a photo.
Meta also included the ability to scan QR codes and make calls through the built-in speakers and microphone.
A future update will supposedly allow for real-time translations, but it’s unclear when this update is due.
Meta currently has one of the best-received large language models, Llama, which has been praised for its variations and capabilities. The company has pushed ahead with its other plans, including celebrity voices for its AI chatbots.
Featured image: Meta
