January 14, 2026 – As the demand for AI-powered smart glasses continues to surge, Meta and EssilorLuxottica are exploring the possibility of ramping up production capacity. On January 13 local time, Bloomberg revealed that Meta has put forward a plan to increase the annual production volume of its smart glasses to 20 million units by 2026, and is even considering further raising this target.
According to the report, Meta is doubling down on its smart glasses business and is further shifting its overall corporate strategy towards AI. At the same time, the company has started to scale back on other hardware projects. This week, Meta initiated layoffs in its Reality Labs division, with a reduction rate of around 10%. It is understood that the current headcount of this division stands at approximately 15,000.
Over the past few years, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has poured billions of dollars into the “metaverse” strategy. However, virtual reality headsets have failed to gain a foothold in the mass market. With this strategic shift, Zuckerberg has redirected his focus to AI and positioned smart glasses as a more promising product in the real-world market. These glasses can not only integrate AI capabilities but are also more likely to be embraced by ordinary consumers.
In this strategic layout, the collaboration with EssilorLuxottica has emerged as a crucial pivot. As a European eyewear industry giant, EssilorLuxottica provides Meta with manufacturing and distribution advantages. In 2024, Meta made a minor equity investment in EssilorLuxottica, further solidifying their long-term partnership in the smart glasses sector.
