'Who would pay 690,000 won for these?' I asked — until I tried them on

A reporter tries on Meta AI Glasses at a media event held Thursday at Meta Korea's office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Meta Korea]

"Not even a luxury brand, and they want 690,000 won ($455) for glasses?"

That was the first thought before trying on the Meta AI Glasses. Not a designer frame, yet priced at 690,000 won — who would actually buy these? When it comes down to it, though, slipping them on changed everything. The camera reads what is right in front of you, and the AI grasps the context of your question and answers accordingly — the whole experience felt like having a personal assistant whispering advice in your ear. The 690,000-won price tag stopped feeling like the cost of eyewear and started feeling like a subscription to an AI concierge. It was the moment Meta's stated goal of "personalized superintelligence for everyone" clicked into place.

Meta Korea held a media event Thursday at its office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to introduce the Ray-Ban Meta 2nd Generation and the Oakley Meta Vanguard AI glasses.

Both products are AI glasses developed in collaboration with global eyewear group EssilorLuxottica. They went on sale in South Korea on May 25.

In person, the first impression was closer to ordinary sunglasses than a gadget. The signature designs of Ray-Ban and Oakley come through intact, making them look more like everyday eyewear than an AI device — an impression reinforced by a fit and weight that feel little different from regular glasses.

Using them is straightforward. Put them on, and a chime signals the connection. Say "Hey Meta," and the AI activates. From there, there is no need to pull out a phone or open an app — just look at an object, a dish, a painting, or a sign and ask your question.

The Oakley Meta AI Glasses, left, and the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. [Meta Korea]

In practice, standing in front of a full-length mirror and asking which bag would go with the outfit produced a quick, confident answer: the AI read the colors and overall look and suggested a brown leather bag. The response came through open-ear speakers built into the temples — no earphones needed, yet the audio was clear enough to hear easily.

The glasses handled a range of other queries just as smoothly. Glancing at a Korean melon and asking about its glycemic index, the AI identified the fruit and explained both the GI figure and what to keep in mind when eating it. Looking at Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" and requesting a description, it returned the title, the artist, and the background of the work. Pointing at a foreign-language sign and asking for a translation, it rendered the meaning in Korean on the spot. Tasks that previously required taking a photo on a smartphone and opening a search or translation app were handled with a single voice command — a genuinely impressive shift.

The real-time interpretation feature also stood out. When a foreign speaker addressed the reporter in English, a translation came through the speaker within one to two seconds. There was a slight delay, but it was comparable to the pause a person naturally takes before formulating a reply. The feature is not yet officially available in South Korea. A Meta representative said the company expects the lag to shorten once the service launches domestically.

Another feature not yet available in South Korea but already live overseas is turn-by-turn navigation. In the United States, a visually impaired marathon runner completed a race wearing Meta AI Glasses, with the device guiding him to water stations and keeping him connected to his coach in real time. If similar features roll out in South Korea, the glasses' potential reach could extend into travel, sports, and accessibility.

Kim Jin-a, CEO of Meta Korea, explains the company's next-generation computing roadmap at the event. [Park Hye-rim]

Meta plans to develop the AI glasses in stages. The version now on sale in South Korea is a first-generation product centered on camera and audio capabilities. The company intends to follow it with display-type AI glasses that project maps and interpretation subtitles onto the lenses, and eventually with augmented-reality-based AI glasses. For now the device reads and responds to the world primarily through voice, but once visual information is layered in, the glasses could emerge as a next-generation interface capable of replacing the smartphone.

Kim Jin-a, CEO of Meta Korea, said at the event that glasses are "the optimal form factor for using AI while staying connected to the world," adding that the company's goal is to "deliver a personalized superintelligence AI experience for everyone."

The Ray-Ban Meta 2nd Generation and the Oakley Meta Vanguard are available at department stores, duty-free shops, and optical retailers across South Korea, starting at 690,000 won. On a single charge, the Ray-Ban Meta lasts up to eight hours and the Oakley Meta Vanguard up to nine.

rim@heraldcorp.com