The next Meta smart glasses might have a much more sensible launch price

• Meta's next smart glasses might cost $800 (£590 / AU$1,230)
• That's much lower than the previous rumored price of over $1,000
• We'll know more at Meta Connect in September

Meta’s next-gen smart glasses might not be as expensive as was originally feared, as new rumors point to them costing $800 instead of starting at over $1,000.

That’s according to details shared by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on social media, who said, “Meta’s first smart glasses with a display coming in September will now be priced from $800,” adding that this pricing change comes from Meta being open to accepting lower margins to boost early demand.

While rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt, Gurman’s insider info is often reliable, and this would fit Meta’s usual strategy. Just look at its affordably-priced Meta Quest 2 and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which both sold like hotcakes.

It’s interesting to note that $800 is also just the rumored starting point. Just like the Ray-Ban and Oakley smart specs we have already, Meta is expected to charge more for different styles and prescription lenses.

Hopefully, this won’t mean transition lenses cost too much more.

I love my Ray-Ban smart specs, but only since I got a pair with transition lenses that can shift between shaded and clear, as it lets me use them indoors and outside, no matter the weather. My completely shaded pair were good, but nowhere near as versatile.

We’ll have to wait and see what Meta announces at Connect in just under a month to find out precisely what its plans are, and also what it’ll charge outside the US. While exchange rates would peg the glasses at somewhere around £590 / AU$1,230, Meta doesn’t directly follow these rates in its price conversions. As we’ve seen with its previous tech, its UK and Australian releases typically cost more than their equivalent to the US price.

But a lower price than was previously anticipated would be fantastic news. Not only for making the tech more accessible, but also to feel more worthwhile, as while I’m sure a screen will be useful, I have yet to be convinced it would be enough of a game-changer to warrant such a large price increase.

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