Meta Glasses launched in Japan on August 25, 2026, with sales beginning August 26 at a starting price of 50,600 yen. Some AI features, including Conversation Focus, are now restricted to paying subscribers of Meta One Premium.
Meta Glasses is the new smart glasses line from Meta and EssilorLuxottica, arriving in Japan after the earlier Ray-Ban Meta. The Japanese launch was announced for August 25, with sales starting the next day. Prices begin at 50,600 yen, roughly 20,000 yen below the Ray-Ban Meta's Japanese price, a gap that makes the category more accessible. The frames come in three styles with multiple color options, and standard lenses are available in four types.
Before the hardware even reached Japanese shelves, Meta changed how some of its features are delivered. On July 1, 2026, the company updated its AI glasses help center to state that certain features on both Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Glasses require a Meta One Premium subscription at $19.99 per month. The Conversation Focus feature, which amplifies a speaker's voice, is capped at 3 hours per month for free users but extends to 15 hours for subscribers. The Verge criticized the decision, arguing the feature runs on-device and should not require a subscription.
The subscription announcement predates the Japanese launch and applies to the new hardware from day one. The pricing undercuts the Ray-Ban Meta, but the ongoing subscription fee adds a recurring cost that was not part of the original pitch.
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Meta and EssilorLuxottica announced the August 25 launch of the new smart glasses Meta Glasses in Japan, with sales beginning August 26. Prices start at 50,600 yen, about 20,000 yen cheaper than the previously released Ray-Ban Meta. The frames come in three styles with multiple color options, and standard lenses are available in four types.
Meta updated its AI glasses help center on July 1, 2026, revealing that some features of its Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Glasses hardware will be restricted unless users subscribe to Meta One Premium at $19.99 per month. The Conversation Focus feature, which amplifies a speaker's voice, is capped at 3 hours per month for free users but extends to 15 hours for subscribers. The Verge criticized the move, noting the feature runs on-device and should not require a subscription.