Meta Pauses Plan to Charge for Smart Glasses Feature After Backlash
Meta has paused its plan to introduce a subscription fee for the Conversation Focus feature on its smart glasses, following public criticism. The feature runs locally on the device, but the company still intends to charge for some premium features in the future.
Meta has temporarily halted its plan to charge a monthly subscription fee for the Conversation Focus feature on its Ray-Ban smart glasses, after facing significant backlash. The feature, designed to improve hearing during conversations, operates locally on the device without needing cloud connectivity. Spokesperson Tyler Yee confirmed to The Verge that the company heard the feedback and is pausing the subscription test for now.
Initially, Meta proposed a $20 monthly fee for the feature, with even paid subscribers limited to 15 hours of use per month. Critics pointed out that the feature functions offline — tech journalist Sean Hollister demonstrated it continued working after disconnecting the glasses from the internet. This contradicted Meta's claim that running the feature incurred incremental costs.
Yee stated that Conversation Focus will remain free through the Early Access Program while Meta explores a better approach. However, the company has not abandoned the idea of subscriptions; it plans to introduce subscription-based premium features over time. Meta emphasized that not all features will be paid, and the subscription model helps subsidize hardware costs, making the glasses more affordable.
The Verge notes that Meta has faced criticism before over its smart glasses pricing and features. Analysts suspect the company may eventually decide to keep Conversation Focus free permanently, but is delaying the announcement to balance the rollout of other paid features.
