Meta and Oakley unveil Oakley Meta Vanguard AI glasses with hands-free camera for athletes
New wearable combines 12MP camera, open-ear audio, and real-time metrics with Garmin and Strava integrations, priced at $499/£499
Meta and Oakley unveiled the Oakley Meta Vanguard, a new line of AI-enabled sports glasses designed to give athletes a competitive edge. Announced at the Meta Connect event, the device blends wearable tech with hands-free video capture and real-time analytics, targeting fitness creators and performance-driven athletes.
At a glance, the Oakley Meta Vanguard looks like Oakley’s standard sports shades, with a wraparound frame and reflective lenses. A 12-megapixel camera sits in the center of the lenses, offering a 122-degree wide-angle field of view for hands-free, first-person footage. Activation is voice-activated with 'Hey Meta,' and wearers can switch to Slow Motion or Hyperlapse modes. The glasses include open-ear speakers in the arms for audio playback and a five-microphone array for calls or Meta AI interactions. Despite this hardware, Meta says the glasses weigh 66 grams—about half the mass of a baseball—and use Oakley’s Three-Point Fit with three replaceable nose pads for a secure, customized fit. Battery life is listed as up to nine hours of mixed use and about six hours of continuous music playback.
Key features include four color options (black frame with gold lenses, white frame with black lenses, black frame with orange/pink lenses, or white frame with sapphire blue lenses) and PRIZM Lens technology to block sun, wind and dust. The Oakley Meta Vanguard also integrates with Garmin and Strava via the Meta AI app, enabling real-time stats and performance overlays. If a user has a Garmin device, they can ask Meta AI for updates or specific metrics in real time, such as heart rate or pace. Strava users can graphically overlay their performance metrics over videos and photos captured on the glasses.
In terms of colours, users can choose between four frame and lens combos. There’s a black frame with gold lenses, a white frame with black lenses, a black frame with orange/pink lenses, or a white frame with sapphire blue lenses. The device weighs 66 grams, maintaining a light profile despite the integrated hardware. Oakley emphasizes a secure fit with its Three-Point Fit system and three replaceable nose pads for a customized feel. The integration with Garmin and Strava via the Meta AI app expands the glasses from a recording device to a live analytics tool, allowing wearers to ask for updates like 'Hey Meta, what’s my heart rate?' or 'Hey Meta, how’s my pace?' and receive near-instant feedback.
Oakley Meta Vanguard are available now to pre-order in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. They will then arrive in Mexico, India, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates later this year. Meta said the collaboration with EssilorLuxottica represents a leadership position in wearable tech for sports, as the company positions Athletic Intelligence as the next frontier for performance and content creation. 'We’re proud to take our leadership together with EssilorLuxottica in wearable tech to the demanding world of sports, where your equipment has to keep up with extreme action as it amplifies your potential — and look good doing it,' Meta added. 'From the trails to the slopes, Oakley Meta Vanguard is the next evolution of sports technology.'