Facebook Teams Up With Ray-Ban to Launch Smart Glasses in 2021

The future is bright for consumer augmented reality.

Facebook announced Wednesday it is teaming up with Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica to launch its first pair of smart glasses in 2021.

"After spending time with [EssilorLuxottica's] team and visiting their factory, I knew that they were the right partner for us to help bring the best technology together with the best glasses," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a live stream for the Facebook Connect virtual conference.

The new advanced lens technology aims to "help people stay better connected to their friends and family," according to the two companies.

More details about the new product's name, specifications, software capabilities, and pricing will be released closer to the glasses' launch in 2021. 

"With EssilorLuxottica we have an equally ambitious partner who'll lend their expertise and world-class brand catalogue to the first truly fashionable smart glasses," Andrew Bosworth, vice president of Facebook Reality Labs, said in a statement. 

The glasses aren't Facebook's only push into AR wearables. Facebook Reality Labs also announced Project Aria on Wednesday. Researchers will use a proprietary set of glasses, not available for sale publically, to gather information to build and improve software and hardware necessary for augmented reality glasses. Testing by Facebook employees and contractors is set to begin later this month in the United States.

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