Meta Platforms is expected to highlight its smart glasses as a key hardware bet during its upcoming earnings call, signaling a strategic shift beyond virtual reality. The company’s wearable category, led by Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, could potentially generate more revenue than its VR headsets in the near future. But privacy concerns remain a significant hurdle for the social media giant as it pushes deeper into consumer hardware.
Why the earnings call matters
Investors will be watching for concrete numbers on smart glasses sales and how Meta plans to scale the product. The company has been investing heavily in augmented and virtual reality through its Reality Labs division, but the smart glasses represent a more immediate consumer play. Unlike the bulky Quest VR headsets, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like ordinary eyewear and offer hands-free camera, audio, and AI assistant features. That form factor could help Meta reach a broader audience—if users are willing to wear them.
The privacy elephant in the room
Privacy concerns are a major issue for Meta’s smart glasses strategy. The built-in camera can record video and take photos discreetly, raising questions about bystander consent and surveillance. Critics argue that the glasses make it too easy to capture people without their knowledge. Meta has added a small LED indicator that lights up when recording, but privacy advocates say that’s not enough. Regulators in Europe and elsewhere have already started looking into the device’s data collection practices. If Meta can’t address these worries, adoption could stall.
What’s at stake for Meta
The smart glasses push comes as Meta faces slowing ad revenue growth and increased competition from TikTok and other platforms. Hardware offers a new revenue stream and a way to keep users inside Meta’s ecosystem. But the company has a mixed track record with hardware—remember the Portal smart display and the failed smartwatch project. Success with smart glasses would prove Meta can build a hit device. Failure would reinforce doubts about its ability to diversify beyond social media.
Meta hasn’t said when it will release detailed smart glasses sales figures. The earnings call, expected in the coming weeks, will be the first real test of whether the company can turn its hardware ambitions into a growth story—and whether it can do so without reigniting the privacy backlash that has dogged its core business.
