Ray-Ban Maker Essilor Touts Meta Glasses as Next Smartphone Blockbuster

EssilorLuxottica, the world's largest eyewear company, is positioning itself to lead the emerging market for AI glasses, which its CEO Francesco Milleri believes could potentially replace smartphones as the next major consumer-tech breakthrough. Milleri sees AI glasses as the next "smartphone blockbuster," with the potential to revolutionize how people interact with technology. The company, which owns the Ray-Ban brand, is investing heavily in developing smart glasses that integrate artificial intelligence and augmented reality features. EssilorLuxottica is working on a range of AI-powered glasses, including a collaboration with Meta (Facebook) to create the "Ray-Ban Stories" smart glasses. Milleri believes these intelligent eyewear products could become as ubiquitous as smartphones, offering a more seamless and immersive user experience. The company's strategy is to leverage its expertise in eyewear design and production to capture a leading position in the emerging AI glasses market, which it sees as a significant growth opportunity in the years to come.