The headset boasted a sleeker, more comfortable design, as well as new AR capabilities, that made it more appealing than its predecessor. Once again, for Meta Connect 2024, the social media giant is expected to drop a new VR headset, but it's not necessarily an upgrade over the Quest 3.

Meta has expanded a key partnership ahead of Connect 2024 and it means great things for its next generation of smart glasses.

Apple is apparently thinking about developing smart glasses without augmented reality capabilities. This product would likely be a rival to the $299 Meta Ray-Ban glasses.

According to Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, Apple may be planning to launch its own rival to the Meta Ray-Ban glasses without the augmented reality visuals. The company has noticed that, in Gurman's own words, “the category has done quite well for Meta” and so, “Apple may try to join the party.”

While financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, there were previous reports that suggested Meta might buy a 5 percent stake in EssilorLuxottica. However, the official announcement did not mention that kind of investment.

Meta and eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica plan to work together on smart glasses “into the next decade.” The two announced a long-term agreement today to extend a partnership that started in 2019 and has yielded two generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses.

They will build on the success of their Ray-Ban branded smart glasses. EssilorLuxottica and Meta Platforms have renewed their partnership to collaborate on smart eyewear development for the next decade.

The company behind Ray-Ban glasses is EssilorLuxottica, which has been putting out eyewear products for decades now. Meta first partnered with the company back in 2019 to develop the Ray-Ban Stories,