etisalat puts AI on your face with Meta glasses from Dh1,160

Dubai: etisalat UAE on Tuesday announced that it would be retailing AI glasses from Meta and EssilorLuxottica, becoming the first telecom operator in the region to sell them. The prices for the different brands start at Dh1,160,with monthly payment plans from Dh55 available.

The range covers four products: Meta Glasses, Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) and the Oakley Meta HSTN, an AI performance model. Each wearable targets a different lifestyle and use case. Wearers can speak to AI hands-free, get live audio translation and use smart features without pulling out their phones. The frames look like regular eyewear, and the range works well while commuting, working, for content creation and while exercising . 

Dr. Tamer Eltoni, SVP at etisalat UAE, called the move a shift in how people use technology. “AI wearables are opening up a new way for people to interact with technology, making access more immediate, intuitive and hands-free,” he said. Eltoni adds that the operator wants to widen its device range around changing customer habits. He describes the glasses as another step in that direction.

Payment options

Customers can buy any of the glasses directly from the etisalat stores starting from Dh1,160 (316). etisalatUAE also offers SmartPay instalments over12,18 and 24months,starting at Dh55(15) a month. Etisalat has not disclosed the pricing of the individual models. But the operator says it is the only one in the UAE to offer all three payment periods.

Eltoni says the payment plans are meant to make adoption simpler. The instalments lower the upfront cost of a new device category.

Wider device push

The launch broadens etisalat UAE’s portfolio of connected and AI-enabled devices. Customers can now pair the glasses with the phones and other devices they already use.

etisalat UAE already sells a broad range of consumer devices. The catalogue spans smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, speakers, headphones, gaming consoles and smart home products.

Smartphone lines include Apple iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy Z foldables. Wearables include the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series, which starts from Dh65 a month on SmartPay. The glasses now sit alongside those categories.