Google has approached Ray-Ban’s parent company EssilorLuxottica to release a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses that would run on Google’s chatbot, Gemini. However, the chances of EssilorLuxottica taking the plunge are slim, as the company already works closely with Meta.
Meta released a second version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses in September last year. Since then, the two companies’ partnership has only become closer. According to the newspaper Financial Times Meta is negotiating with EssilorLuxottica to acquire five percent of the company.
Nevertheless, Google hopes to convince Ray-Ban to ditch Meta. That message The Vergewhich spoke to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. Google wants to release its own Ray-Ban glasses. They would work with Gemini, Google’s AI assistant.
Small chance
However, the sources The Verge spoke to say that it is highly unlikely that Google will succeed in convincing EssilorLuxottica. According to them, the chances are very high that Meta’s investment will go through.
Google has worked with Luxottica in the past (before it merged with Essilor). The eyewear company designed frames for Google Glass. Google released the smart glasses as a prototype in 2013. Google Glass flopped, however, and the original version was pulled from the market in 2015. The company tried to develop versions for businesses, but in 2023 it stopped that too.
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Source: www.bright.nl
