Meta has introduced its latest innovation in wearable technology, the Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses, designed specifically for athletes such as runners and cyclists. The announcement came during Meta Connect 2025, the company’s flagship annual conference, where it typically showcases its newest smart glasses and virtual reality headsets. The Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses will retail at $499 and officially launch on October 21, 2025.
Unlike previous designs, the Oakley Meta Vanguard features a large unified front lens rather than the dual-camera setup found on earlier models, including the Oakley Meta HSTN. Equipped with a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and support for 3K video recording, the glasses promise clearer visuals and broader capture. They also introduce a programmable button, allowing users to activate personalized AI prompts through the Meta AI app. All buttons are discreetly positioned beneath the frames, making them helmet-friendly for athletes.
In terms of performance, Meta says the new glasses deliver up to nine hours of battery life, or six hours of continuous music playback. For added convenience, they come with a charging case capable of extending usage by another 36 hours. A quick-charge option brings the device to 50% in just 20 minutes, ensuring minimal downtime during training or travel.
Meta has also significantly upgraded the audio experience. The Oakley Meta Vanguard is fitted with open-ear speakers that are six decibels louder than the previous Oakley Meta HSTN model, making them the company’s most powerful yet. A five-microphone array is integrated to filter out wind noise, improving clarity during calls, messaging, or hands-free AI interactions. With an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, these glasses are the most durable in Meta’s lineup, built to withstand rigorous outdoor workouts.
Beyond hardware, the glasses emphasize fitness integration. They sync seamlessly with Garmin smartwatches, enabling athletes to request real-time stats like heart rate or pace. Integration with Strava further enhances the experience, letting users overlay performance metrics onto photos and videos taken during their workouts and share them instantly with their fitness communities.
The design continues Oakley’s tradition of sports-focused eyewear, featuring a wraparound build with Oakley PRIZM™ lens technology to shield against sunlight, wind, and dust. Consumers will be able to choose from four styles: Black with PRIZM™ 24K, White with PRIZM™ Black, Black with PRIZM™ Road, and White with PRIZM™ Sapphire.
Availability will roll out first in major Western markets, including the United States, Canada, U.K., Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Later in the year, Meta plans to expand distribution to Mexico, India, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates, marking a broad global launch strategy.
The unveiling comes just three months after Meta debuted the Oakley Meta HSTN, its first smart glasses marketed toward athletes and enthusiasts. Alongside the Vanguard, Meta also introduced new Ray-Ban branded smart glasses with a built-in display and wristband control, as well as the Ray-Ban Meta 2, which doubles the battery life of its predecessor while adding 3K Ultra HD video recording. Together, the announcements underscore Meta’s growing push to dominate the smart eyewear market, merging performance, AI, and lifestyle functionality in a single device.
