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The rumor mill is working overtime about news that might drop at next week’s Meta Connect 2025. Two new pieces of gossip: Meta may announce that its rumored AR smart glasses are powered by a smart watch, and the company may reveal Meta-powered Prada frames during the event.
Both a potential Prada Meta release and a Meta watch-controller for its expected AR glasses require a little “internet rumor math” and conclusion-jumping, so take it with a grain a salt, but here’s the breakdown:
Meta’s rumored smart watch
The “Meta smart watch” speculation comes from a late July post on Digitimes suggesting Meta will roll out its own smart watch at Meta Connect 2025. Since Meta’s next-gen smart glasses are expected to need a wrist controller, it makes sense that Meta would make it a watch. Almost everyone would prefer wearing a smart watch to a dedicated tech bracelet, right?
If Meta’s wrist controller/watch actually exists, we have no idea what other “watch-like” features it might include (beyond telling time, of course) but if Meta is planning to release a functional smart watch and a linked pair of display-enabled smart glasses, while charging only $800 (the rumored price) for the bundle, I predict a lot of interest.
The rumor about a Prada-Meta collab
What if Meta’s new glasses look really cool too? Like, something Prada puts out? Prada’s boxy, thick frames seem tailor-made for tech, and Meta already partners with its parent company, EssilorLuxotica, which also owns Ray-Ban and Oakley. Plus, rumors of Prada Meta glasses date back to June, and EssilorLuxotica also makes watches, so all the dots seem to connect and suggest that Meta could either add Prada to its lines of glasses with AI and cameras, or launch new display glasses under the Prada name.
Or not. This is all speculation. It’s not baseless speculation, but it could all turn out to be wrong. Maybe Meta thinks the public wants a wrist device that controls our glasses but doesn’t tell time. Maybe Meta Prada frames will be announced at some later date. Maybe the gigantic corporations involved have decided the two brands don’t fit together well enough to elicit consumer interest. Only time, as they say, will tell.
If you’re keeping score at home, though, below are five things that could be announced at Meta Connect 2025, in order of my own, personal excitement:
Meta display smart glasses
There is so much smoke around the idea that Meta plans to announce smart glasses with a built in display in one of the lenses, there has to be fire, right? Actually, no. But the rumor says that Meta’s next smart glasses will feature a dedicated display on one lens for alerts and mini-apps, as well as all the AI, audio, and camera/video features of the current generation of Meta Ray-Bans and Meta Oakley smart glasses. All of this will theoretically be facilitated via a wireless wristband or a smart watch(!).
Next-generation Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses
Meta announcing a better version of its two already successful audio-and-AI focused smart glasses seems extremely likely. I’d put money on “third generation” Meta smart glasses having a better camera, longer-lasting battery, and vastly improved AI, but that’s not going very far out on a limb. I’m a huge fan of my Ray-Ban Metas, and I’d love an upgrade.
Prada Meta smart glasses
Just on vibes, Prada-Meta glasses make so much sense: there’s a kind of person who wears Ray-Bans, and a different kind of person who wears Oakleys, but neither of them are the kind of person who wears Prada. Personally, I expect the Prada glasses to be added to the audio and AI line of Meta smart glasses, as opposed to being rolled out as the flagship frames for Meta’s rumored AI style smart glasses.
Third-party apps for Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses
Meta opening its smart glasses infrastructure to third-party developers isn’t likely to drive many headlines, but it could low-key change the game for Meta users. Having a suite of apps for different uses would be amazing.
Improvements to Meta Horizon OS
Smart glasses may be hogging all the attention, but Meta is expected to announce some improvements to the Horizon operating system that powers its VR headgear too. Specifically, expect better graphics in Horizon Worlds and your virtual home, and easier connectivity too.
If you want check out the event as it happens, Meta Connect 2025 will begin with a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg on September 17 at 8 p.m. ET and continue through September 18. You can stream the keynote and developers conferences on Facebook or the official Meta Connect site.
