Meta launched its first Oakley-branded smart glasses on June 20, targeting active users with enhanced durability and sports-focused features. The Oakley Meta HSTN costs $499 for the limited edition model, positioning itself $50 above the Ray-Ban Meta glasses while adding weather resistance and athletic functionality.
The partnership expands Meta’s smart glasses beyond lifestyle users. EssilorLuxottica has sold millions of Ray-Ban Meta units since 2023, with many buyers using them for sports despite their urban design focus. The Oakley version addresses this gap directly with IPX4 water resistance and double the battery life of Ray-Ban models.
Performance That Actually Delivers
The HSTN delivers significant performance improvements over existing Meta glasses, and frankly, it’s about time. Battery life extends to eight hours of typical use and 19 hours on standby, compared to four hours for Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Anyone who’s experienced their Ray-Bans dying mid-conversation knows this upgrade matters. The charging case provides up to 48 hours of additional power, while rapid charging reaches 50% capacity in 20 minutes.
3K video recording capability surpasses the Ray-Ban version, capturing higher resolution footage for sports and outdoor activities. The built-in camera works with Meta AI for hands-free operation, allowing voice commands like “Hey Meta, take a video” during activities without fumbling for buttons or breaking your flow.
Open-ear speakers integrate into the frame design without blocking ambient sound, crucial for outdoor safety. The IPX4 water resistance rating protects against sweat and light rain, supporting use during intense physical activities where Ray-Bans might leave you worried about damage.
The Great Divide: Lifestyle vs Performance
The contrast between Meta’s two flagship offerings tells the story of how we actually live our lives:
Ray-Ban Meta Glasses:
- Wayfarer and classic frame silhouettes that work everywhere
- Subtle tech integration for daily wear
- Fashion-forward materials and finishes
- $449 starting price
- Four-hour battery life (prepare for charging anxiety)
- Urban and social media focus
Oakley Meta HSTN:
- Wraparound athletic frame geometry that means business
- Bold design language with visible tech elements
- Performance-oriented materials and construction
- $499 limited edition, $399 standard models
- Eight-hour battery life with rapid charging
- Sports and outdoor activity focus
The Ray-Ban version prioritizes discretion and style integration, making the smart features nearly invisible. After wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers with transition lenses since launch, the versatility of adapting from indoor meetings to outdoor activities without switching glasses proves invaluable. The Oakley model takes the opposite approach, embracing its tech identity with prominent design elements and athletic aesthetics that practically shout performance capability.
Color Options That Actually Make Sense
The Oakley Meta HSTN launches with six distinct frame and lens combinations, each targeting specific use cases rather than just aesthetic preferences:
Limited Edition (July 11 preorder, $499):
- Gold accents with 24K Prizm Polar lenses (for those who like their tech flashy)
Standard Collection (Summer 2025, starting at $399):
- Desert frame with Prizm Ruby lenses
- Black frame with Prizm Polar Black lenses (the safe choice for traditionalists)
- Shiny Brown frame with Prizm Polar Deep-Water lenses
- Black frame with Transitions Amethyst lenses
- Clear frame with Transitions Grey lenses
- Black frame with clear lenses
All frame and lens combinations support prescription lenses for an additional cost. For those who prefer understated options, the black frame variants offer familiar territory without sacrificing functionality.
Lens Technology That Actually Works
Select HSTN models feature Oakley’s Prizm lens technology, representing one of the most advanced innovations in sports optics. Prizm lenses enhance color, contrast, and detail by filtering specific wavelengths of light, making environments appear more vibrant and easier to navigate.
The Prizm variants target specific activities:
- Prizm Ruby: Enhances contrast in bright conditions
- Prizm Polar Black: Reduces glare with polarization
- Prizm Polar Deep-Water: Optimized for water sports and fishing
- Transitions Amethyst/Grey: Adapt to changing light conditions automatically
The Transitions options deserve special attention. Having used transition lenses extensively, their ability to seamlessly adapt from indoor fluorescent lighting to bright outdoor conditions eliminates the constant eyewear switching that plagues regular sunglasses users. This versatility becomes even more valuable when your glasses double as a computer, camera, and communication device.
This lens technology integration maintains Oakley’s optical performance standards while housing Meta’s camera and AI systems. The combination addresses a key limitation of many smart glasses, which often compromise optical quality for tech integration.
AI That Gets Athletics
Meta positions the HSTN as “Performance AI glasses” with sports-specific functionality that goes beyond basic voice commands. The AI assistant provides contextual information relevant to athletic activities, such as wind speed for golf shots or weather conditions for outdoor training.
Hands-free operation becomes crucial during physical activities where manual phone interaction interrupts performance. Voice commands handle photography, video recording, music control, and AI queries without breaking focus or rhythm. Try adjusting your phone settings mid-workout and you’ll understand why this matters.
The wraparound frame design provides better peripheral coverage than traditional rectangular frames, protecting against side glare and debris during outdoor activities. This design philosophy extends Oakley’s heritage in sports eyewear to smart glasses functionality.
Beyond Sports: Real-World Applications
Beyond athletic applications, the HSTN includes accessibility features that leverage Meta AI capabilities. The system can describe visual scenes for users with visual impairments and connect to the Be My Eyes network for volunteer assistance.
Live translation features support international travel and communication, while hands-free messaging enables communication during activities where phone access proves difficult or dangerous. These features work whether you’re navigating a foreign city or simply have your hands full with groceries.
Getting Your Hands on Them
Initial availability covers 15 countries including the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Meta plans expansion to Mexico, India, and the United Arab Emirates later in 2025.
The staged rollout reflects Meta’s strategy of establishing market presence in developed economies before expanding to emerging markets where smart glasses adoption may follow different patterns.
What’s Coming Next
Meta confirmed additional Oakley models beyond the HSTN, including a cyclist-focused design based on Oakley’s Sphera frame geometry. This model will feature a centered camera position and aerodynamic frame profile optimized for competitive cycling and road sports.
The expanded Oakley partnership represents Meta’s broader strategy of segmenting smart glasses by lifestyle and use case rather than competing solely on general-purpose functionality. One size doesn’t fit all lifestyles, and Meta seems to finally understand this. Whether you prefer the understated elegance of Ray-Ban or the bold performance aesthetic of Oakley, the choice now exists without compromising on core smart features.
