Meta adds a subscription tier for some smart glasses features

In short: Meta is putting some smart glasses features behind a subscription, even though the glasses can still be used without paying monthly.

What happened

Meta updated its help pages to say that some features on its AI smart glasses will be limited unless you subscribe to the Meta One Premium Plan. This applies to Meta’s smart glasses sold under different names, including Ray-Ban Meta models, Oakley Meta models, and Meta-branded glasses.

Meta says the glasses will still work without a subscription. But certain “expanded access” features will have caps, which means you can only use them for a set amount of time each month.

One example is a feature called Conversation Focus. It boosts the voice of the person you are talking to so you can hear them better in a noisy place, like turning up one TV channel while the room is loud (think of it like turning up a single speaker in a crowd). Meta says non-subscribers get three hours per month, and subscribers can use it up to 15 hours per month.

The subscription also includes “Premium Device Support.” Meta says this gives faster access to human support staff trained on the glasses.

Meta told WIRED this is “not an AI rate limit.” It also said Conversation Focus runs on the device itself, meaning it does not need to send audio to Meta’s servers to work. Meta says there is no real-time counter for hours used, but people will get a notification when they are near the limit.

Why it matters

This is another sign that buying the device may not be the full cost. Some helpful features can become more like streaming services, where you pay monthly to unlock more use. It also raises a question for shoppers: if competitors offer similar features without a monthly fee, Meta may face pressure to change how these limits work.

Source: Wired