Mbappé and Mahomes promote new Oakley Meta smart glasses

Smart glasses haven’t gone mainstream yet, but Meta’s not giving up. After targeting the fashion crowd with its Ray-Ban Meta lineup, the company is trying to convince us that the eyewear is a must-have for athletes with the launch of the Oakley Meta HSTN AI glasses.

Announcing the launch in its Newsroom, Meta is calling in serious sporting royalty to get people talking about the new device. Kylian Mbappé and Patrick Mahomes headline the launch campaign, with appearances from other pro athletes like J.R. Smith and Boo Johnson.

The HSTN (pronounced “HOW-stuhn”) is based on an existing Oakley frame design but adds smart features, including a built-in 3K camera, open-ear speakers, IPX4 water resistance, and Meta AI as a voice assistant. The idea is you can ask it questions during a workout, play a podcast without headphones, or shoot video of your latest trick hands-free. Battery life is rated at up to eight hours of typical use, and the included case holds another 48 hours of charge.

The Oakley Meta glasses have been rumored for a while under the codename Supernova 2, and were expected to carry over much of the functionality from the Ray-Ban models, minus a display.

At $499 for the limited edition, they’re priced firmly in high-end territory, though more models starting at $399 are coming later this summer. Preorders open July 11, with initial availability in North America, Europe, and Australia, and more countries (including Mexico and India) to follow.

You can find out more and register your interest on the Meta or Oakley websites. The campaign will also appear at major sporting events like Fanatics Fest and UFC Fight Week. Whether there’s a real market for AI-enhanced glasses on the playing field remains to be seen.