Meta is backtracking on its decision to lock a popular feature of its AI-powered smart glasses behind a monthly subscription. Meta's Smart Glasses add cameras and far-field microphones to your spectacles, letting you capture photos and videos completely hands-free, listen to music, take phone calls, and access information on the go.

The Californian firm had hoped to lock a popular feature — known as Conversation Focus — beyond a pretty tight limit. This clever tool uses the glasses' microphones to amplify voices, making it easier to hear whoever you're chatting with in noisy spots. The feature was previously available to everyone without a time limit.

But Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagran, wanted you to spend $19.99 (about £15) per month to access the feature for more than three hours in a calendar month. Meta's glasses start from £224, but the additional charge would've set you back £180 annually.

After huge backlash over its decision, Meta told The Verge: "We heard the feedback so we’re pausing its subscription test for now. Conversation focus will remain available for free through our Early Access Program for early testers while we work on a better approach."

Dubbed Meta One, the subscription is specifically meant for Meta AI users. If you're not familiar, Meta AI is a free artificial intelligence (AI) assistant similar to ChatGPT and Gemini. It can answer questions, write text, brainstorm ideas, and generate images from simple prompts, and can either be accessed as a standalone app or can be found built into Meta-owned platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.

Alongside Conversation Focus, subscribers would unlock more opportunities to use AI to generate images and videos each month.

Unfortunately, both Meta One and Conversation Focus aren't available in the UK, with no planned release date confirmed. So the U-turn from Meta means that glasses wearers won't need to worry about an unexpected subscription bill to access the feature they'd already become accustomed to.

Meta appears to be having a tough time with the roll-out of its AI features. The company also U-turned on its decision to make new Muse Image available on public Instagram accounts.

In a statement sent to GB News, a Meta spokesperson said: "We announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference.

"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available."

The feature would've let you generate AI images based on photos posted on any public Instagram account. And if your Instagram account is set to public, then anyone can generate AI images with your likeness.

The company is also cracking down on secret video recording, after various reported incidents with the specs.

The subscription change for Meta Ray-Ban glasses alone created a pretty negative reaction from many users. One wrote on Reddit: "This is terrible. I was really looking forward to using the conversation focus feature and it hasn't even reached the UK yet and they're now going to charge for it? I love the glasses but paywalling features will render them redundant."

However, the tech giant said in its online Help Centre: " There is no subscription required to use AI glasses, and you'll continue to have access to AI glasses features without a Meta One subscription."

Comment
by u/pdfu from discussion
in RayBanStories

Apple offers a strikingly similar feature on its AirPods Pro 2 and 3, and it doesn't cost a penny extra.

The feature's called Conversation Boost, and it does essentially the same job – making the person talking in front of you easier to hear. It's completely free to use, no subscription needed, no monthly limits to worry about.

However, it's not uncommon for tech firms to charge a subscription to access premium or expanded features on their wearables.

For example, many of Oura's smart ring features are only accessible behind a monthly app subscription. Its subscription cost of £9.99 per month will give you access to blood oxygen sensing, temperature monitoring, women's health insights, and more.