Sports eyewear brand Oakley and US technology major Meta have expanded their partnership with the launch of Oakley Meta Vanguard, marking their entry into what the companies describe as a new category of “Performance AI glasses” targeted at athletes and serious fitness users.

Priced from ₹52,300, Oakley Meta Vanguard sits at the premium end of the wearables market and signals a strategic shift towards specialised, performance-led hardware rather than mass consumer smart accessories.

From lifestyle tech to performance gear

Unlike smart glasses designed primarily for casual use or content consumption, Oakley Meta Vanguard is positioned as a tool for high-intensity sports and training. The product combines Oakley’s sports eyewear design with Meta’s AI capabilities, integrating fitness tracking, hands-free voice assistance, immersive audio and a point-of-view camera into a single wearable.

The glasses can sync with Garmin and other fitness platforms through Meta AI, allowing users to access metrics such as heart rate and pace through voice commands without stopping activity. A peripheral LED indicator provides at-a-glance feedback on whether the user is within target performance zones—reducing the need to check a phone or smartwatch mid-workout.

Hardware designed for endurance sports

Oakley Meta Vanguard features a 12-megapixel camera with a 122-degree wide-angle lens, capable of recording up to 3K video along with slow-motion and hyperlapse modes. While the feature supports content creation, it is also positioned as a tool for performance review and training analysis.

Battery life extends up to nine hours of usage, with an additional 36 hours available through the charging case. A quick-charge feature delivers 50% battery in 20 minutes. The device carries an IP67 dust and water resistance rating, reinforcing its positioning for outdoor endurance sports such as running and cycling.

The eyewear retains Oakley’s Three-Point Fit system, replaceable nose pads for different face profiles, and PRIZM lens technology designed to enhance contrast and visual clarity in varied conditions.

India-focused localisation

As part of its India strategy, Meta has enabled Hindi language support on Meta AI for Oakley Meta Vanguard, allowing users to control functions, access information, and manage calls and messages in Hindi. The AI assistant also supports UPI Lite payments, reflecting Meta’s broader push to embed local digital payment use cases into its hardware ecosystem.

The device includes an optional celebrity AI voice from Deepika Padukone, part of Meta’s global lineup of assistant voices.

Strategic implications

For Oakley—part of EssilorLuxottica—the launch represents a move beyond traditional sports optics into AI-enabled performance technology, leveraging its credibility among professional and serious amateur athletes. For Meta, the collaboration strengthens its presence in consumer hardware beyond VR headsets and earlier smart glasses, with a sharper focus on utility-driven use cases.

Industry executives say the launch reflects a wider convergence of sports science, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics, with premium pricing justified by performance outcomes rather than lifestyle appeal alone.

The Oakley Meta Vanguard collection is available in four frame and lens combinations and is now on sale at LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and leading optical and sunglass retailers across India.

Whether the Indian market will adopt AI-powered sports eyewear at this price point remains an open question, but the move underlines a clear industry signal: the next phase of wearables innovation is shifting from the wrist to the face.