Meta Preempts Google's Gentle Monster Glasses With Kylie Jenner 'Starfire' Design

Meta launched 'Starfire' smart glasses designed with Kylie Jenner, featuring her voice for Meta AI and a gemstone lens, just months before Google's similar Gentle Monster glasses are expected to launch. The $400-$480 glasses use the same chipset as Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 but in a smaller frame, preempting Google's design differentiation.

Meta teamed up with Kylie Jenner for new 'Starfire' smart glasses. Meta says Starfire was "designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner", and features her voice for Meta AI as well as a gemstone in the lens and a metal nose pad to prevent absorbing makeup. Otherwise, as with the cheaper Meta Glasses launched this week https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-launches-cheaper-smart-glasses-without-ray-ban-branding/ , Starfire has the same chipset, camera, speakers, battery, storage, and connectivity as the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 https://www.uploadvr.com/ray-ban-meta-gen-2-announced-preorders/ glasses, packed into EssilorLuxottica https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-invests-3-billion-in-essilorluxottica-taking-stake/ 's smallest frame yet. Three color variants are available: - Classic Black frame with Black lenses $400 - Dark Tortoise frame with Chocolate lenses $400 - Classic Black frame with Clear to Grey Transitions lenses $480 As with the other new Meta Glasses, the Starfire design comes with the same kind of folding case as Meta Ray-Ban Display. It's also unlike Meta Ray-Ban Display compatible with the new stainless steel Charging Stand. Something that hasn't gone unnoticed is that Meta's Starfire glasses have a striking resemblance to the Gentle Monster smart glasses https://www.uploadvr.com/gemini-smart-glasses-are-launching-in-fall-to-take-on-ray-ban-meta/ announced at Google's I/O back in May. We noted at the time that the Gentle Monster design "looks nothing like anything Meta and EssilorLuxottica have put out so far" – but Starfire makes this no longer the case. Tech hardware has a long development cycle, and the likely explanation here is simply that the two companies are following the same general fashion trends and engineering constraints. But it's still noteworthy that Meta has essentially preempted what would have been Google's unique design differentiation months before it launches. You can find the Meta Glasses Starfire Kylie Edition on the Meta Store https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/meta-glasses/starfire-kylie-edition/?ref=uploadvr.com .