Ever since rumors started swirling of Meta partnering with more EssilorLuxottica brands, we’ve been salivating over the idea of having Oakley-branded smart glasses on our faces. That day is finally here, and it’s the representation of Meta doubling down on its vision that AI glasses are the future, and anyone without a pair is going to start feeling left out in life.

It’s similar to the way people started talking about smartphones after the original iPhone was announced, and it feels like a paradigm shift in computing has already begun. Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses aren’t a revolution over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but they do represent an important evolution over those specs.

In addition to the unique Oakley HSTN style, these frames offer the choice of Prizm polarized lenses, better video capture stabilization, longer battery life, and a case that’ll keep your glasses charged longer than before. They’re a solid improvement, albeit maybe a tad on the expensive side, especially for the limited edition pair.

I’ve been using Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses since July 16, 2025, for this review.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Price and availablility

Limited-edition Warm White Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses launched in late July 2025 for $499. This limited edition pair features Prizm 24K polarized lenses and is currently the only way to buy Oakley Meta HSTNs. Additional styles and lens selections will be available in Fall 2025 and will retail for $399 and above.

At that point, lens styles will include Prizm, Prizm Polarized, Clear, and Transition lenses. Prescription options are available with a range of -6.00 to +4.00, which is the same range Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses offer.

Each pair of Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses ships with a charging storage case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a set of warranty manuals and instructions. You can see an unboxing here.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Specs

Oakley Meta HSTN: Are the Prizm lenses worth it?

Later this Fall, Meta will offer more Oakley styles and lens choices, but as of this writing, the only choice is to buy them with 24K Prizm polarized lenses. That choice makes these $100 more expensive than the base $399 price, but are Prizm lenses worth the extra cost? If you’re using them as sunglasses, I say yes.

My Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have transition lenses on them, a choice that’ll be available on Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses soon. But while the transition lenses are convenient and allow me to wear the Ray-Bans indoors and out, the level of tinting even in bright sunlight leaves a lot to be desired.

To illustrate this, I set my camera to manual shutter speed and ISO so it wouldn’t adjust the brightness level to compensate for dark conditions. I then snapped a picture of this brightly-lit area to showcase just how good Prizm polarized lens tinting is.

Seriously, the luminance difference with these is astounding, and I find Prizm lenses to be unquestionably comfortable in sunlight. Since Oakley Meta HSTN lenses are “built for athletes” and anyone spending a lot of time outdoors, it seems like a smart idea that Meta only offered this choice initially.

But Prizm lenses don’t just offer good tinting. They also “enhance vibrance and visual experience,” according to Oakley. I’ve never used a pair of Prizm lenses before these glasses, and now I realize what I’ve been missing. Again, I took a camera to the lenses to showcase what you’ll see with Prizm lenses, this time with normal brightness compensation enabled.

The first time I put the glasses on, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Suddenly, green grass looked impossibly green, as if it came from a Studio Ghibli movie. Everything was warmer, brighter, and just generally pleasant to look at.

I wouldn’t say these lenses enhance clarity, but they certainly do something awesome to the world’s colors and are a great bonus on top of the already excellent tinting level.

Oakley Meta HSTN: What you’ll like

Anyone planning to use Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses to record their marathon runs, sports outings, or other high-energy events is going to be thrilled with what Meta did here. While the 3K resolution camera doesn’t do much for image quality, Meta uses the extra resolution to better stabilize video capture, and it feels like magic.

Through my testing, I tried using them for everything from daily runs to a Spartan Race, and was impressed with how stable video capture remained even through the bumpiest events. It’s a substantial improvement over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and it achieves exactly what Meta was going for.

In general, I preferred using these to take pictures and video over any of the glasses’ other functions. Video capture, in particular, is such an excellent use of these since it provides a unique perspective that frees up both of your hands and your full body to do normal things without having to worry about holding (or dropping) a phone.

They’re also faster than a phone to take a picture or record a video since they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just press the button or ask Meta to start a video or snap a picture.

Outside of this, the experience isn’t functionally any different from Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. They act like a pair of open-ear headphones, but the sound quality isn’t noticeably improved over Ray-Ban Metas. Still, I loved using these as a way to talk on the phone hands-free while driving. They’re even better than my Ray-Bans because of the tinting provided by the Oakley Prizm lenses.

Meta AI works exactly the same as it does on Ray-Ban Metas, including the choice of using the “Hey, Meta” keyword or just tapping the right temple touchpad to invoke the assistant. Because it can use the cameras and microphones from the glasses, Meta AI is an incredibly powerful tool that can be helpful in tons of situations.

For example, I was walking around my backyard and noticed a newly planted rhododendron was looking pretty fried on one side. I asked Meta AI what could be happening, and it suggested that the plant might be getting too much sun.

Upon further inspection, I realized the fried side was facing the westward sun. Given that it’s high summer at this point, that made a lot of sense, and I ended up relocating the plant to a shadier spot. Meta AI effectively saved my plant, and it’s just one of the many reasons it’s incredibly useful to have on a pair of glasses.

Oakley Meta HSTN: What needs improvement

If there’s anything these glasses need, it’s some padding for the temple arms. The glasses are nice and tight on my head, and don’t wobble at all for most tasks. In the video above, I took it out for several runs and went through several different types of exercises that all involved lots of body movement.

The only time they failed to stay on my head was when I was doing burpees, which involve dropping to the floor to essentially do a push-up, then standing up and jumping at the top. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses held on far better, and it’s because the temple arms are curved at the end.

Because the Oakley temple arms come to a smaller, straight point, I found them to be less comfortable than the Ray-Ban design when wearing them for hours. Again, a set of rubber temple pads should help this a lot.

Beyond comfort, Oakley Meta HSTN battery life still leaves a bit to be desired. If you’re using it for mixed purposes — that is, asking Meta AI a few questions, listening to some music, and taking a few photos or videos — these glasses still can’t last a whole day on a single charge.

Now, that’s not to say there isn’t a notable improvement. As my Oakley Meta HSTN battery review showed, you’ll get roughly 60% better battery life from these glasses. That’s not double the battery life as Meta’s estimates show, but it’s an improvement that’s far better than the annual upgrade most modern smart products offer.

I was also disappointed that the new 3K camera didn’t improve image quality to any meaningful degree. You’ll find fewer compression artifacts and some slightly crisper imagery when choosing 3K resolution in the Meta AI app’s glasses settings, but it’s not worth the tradeoff in battery life or image stabilization. Stick with 1080p, the default out-of-the-box setting.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Should you buy them?

You should buy them if….

• You want a hands-free way to take pictures or video, make phone calls, listen to music, or chat with Meta AI.
• You love Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses but need longer battery life.
• You want a pair of Oakley’s with lots of extra functionality.

You shouldn’t buy them if….

• You are planning to record over an hour of video or listen to music for more than 3 hours per charge.
• You want a pair of smart glasses with a display.
• You don’t want to give Meta any more of your data than it already has.

Oakley Meta HSTN are the best smart glasses Meta has made to date, featuring better video capture, longer battery life, and incredible Oakley Prizm lenses. The battery upgrade alone is a reason to choose them over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, so long as you have the budget for it.

And that’s the biggest problem with Oakley Meta HSTN: the price. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses retail for $299 and can sometimes be found on sale for $250 or less. Oakley Meta HSTN start at $399 and really only offer two main advantages: better image stabilization during video capture, and roughly 60% better battery life. There’s no doubt both of these are great selling points, but it’s hard to justify $100 extra for them.

But if you want the best of the best, these perfectly fit the bill. They’re by far the best AI smart glasses on the market and they provide the best camera capture quality you’ll find on any glasses to date. Regular updates for Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses tell us that these will see new features for years to come, and it helps make the $399+ price tag a little more palatable in the end. So long as you’re OK with Meta gathering more of your data, of course.

Meta Platforms (META 1.05%) rose over 11% on July 31 thanks to the incredible results that it posted during the second quarter. Meta also delivered some shocking news that helped propel the stock higher, as its expected growth is far greater than anyone predicted.

But after a large jump in a short time frame, is the stock still worth buying?

Q2’s growth far exceeded management’s expectations

Meta Platforms is better known for the social media platforms that it owns: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The key part of these apps is the advertising revenue that they generate. In Q2, advertising generated $46.6 billion in revenue for Meta. Companywide, Meta generated $47.5 billion.

That’s nearly all of Meta’s revenue, so it’s clear that as long as advertising remains strong, Meta will remain strong. In Q2, ad revenue rose 22% year over year. Because the revenue makes up a large chunk of Meta’s total, this 22% growth rate is equal to its overall growth rate. The big kicker here is that Meta was only expecting 13% revenue growth at the midpoint for Q2.

Q2 clearly exceeded all expectations for growth, which is one of the reasons why the stock responded so positively; the other reason was the outlook.

Meta expects to sustain this growth through at least the next quarter

Looking ahead to Q3, Wall Street analysts expected Meta to forecast $46.2 billion in revenue. However, management completely blew that expectation away, guiding for revenue between $47.5 billion and $50 billion. That indicates 20% growth at the midpoint, which shows that this rapid growth is expected to persist.

That’s an incredible outlook for Meta and shows that the company isn’t just succeeding, it’s knocking it out of the park. However, the 11% jump following Q2 earnings may concern investors that all of this success has been pulled forward. So, is Meta a solid buy now?

Meta’s stock isn’t the cheapest around

After the one-day jump, Meta trades at 28 times earnings.

META PE Ratio data by YCharts

Besides the decline Meta experienced alongside the broader market in April, this is pretty much in line with where the stock has traded at since 2024. As a result, investors shouldn’t be overly concerned with the price that they’re paying. Furthermore, the S&P 500 index (^GSPC 0.73%) trades at 24.9 times trailing earnings, which isn’t that much cheaper than Meta (although still historically expensive).

With Meta’s impressive growth rate and dominant business model, I’m confident that Meta can still deliver market-beating growth moving forward. The Wall Street analyst community was bearish on Meta’s stock heading into earnings, as its forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was identical to its trailing P/E ratio, indicating no earnings growth over the next year.

However, Meta delivered 38% diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth in Q2, so this argument has been completely upended. This could cause a wave of analyst upgrades coming in the next few weeks, which could drive Meta’s stock even higher.

The price for Meta’s stock is fair, and with excellent growth ahead of it, I still think it’s a top stock to buy in the market today.

Keithen Drury has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Between earnings season — the six-week period every quarter where a majority of the most-influential businesses report their operating results — economic data releases, and updates from the Trump administration, keeping up on market-moving news events can be challenging for investors. In fact, it’s easy for something of importance to slip through the cracks.

One key data release that investors might have overlooked is the May 15 deadline for institutional investors with at least $100 million in assets under management to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F is required to be filed no later than 45 calendar days following the end to a quarter, and it provides investors with a concise snapshot of which stocks Wall Street’s top-tier asset managers have been buying and selling.

Though 13Fs have their flaws — e.g., they can offer a stale snapshot for very active hedge funds — they’re invaluable in helping investors piece together which stocks and trends have the undivided attention of successful fund managers.

While investors tend to wait on the edge of their seat to see what billionaire Warren Buffett has been up to, he’s far from the only billionaire known to make waves in the stock market. Third Point’s Dan Loeb is another billionaire asset manager known for spotting good deals.

During the March-ended quarter, Third Point’s billionaire chief made two curious trades in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena. He sent his fund’s entire stake in Meta Platforms (META -0.98%) packing, and loaded up on shares of an undisputed AI leader whose addressable market can potentially grow 25-fold over a 10-year stretch.

Billionaire Dan Loeb’s Third Point logs out of Meta

Based on Third Point’s 13F, Loeb completely exited nine positions during the first quarter, none of which is more of an eyebrow-raiser than social media titan Meta Platforms. Loeb green-lit the sale of all 665,000 shares that were held at the end of 2024.

It’s quite possible that this sale represented nothing more than a profit-taking opportunity for Third Point’s billionaire chief. On average, Loeb’s fund holds its positions for a little over 13 months, and Third Point’s Meta stake had been initiated during the third quarter of 2023. With Meta stock more than doubling during this period, Loeb had plenty of reason to cash in his chips.

The question is: Was something more nefarious behind this selling activity than just benign profit-taking?

One concern is the potential for the U.S. economy to fall into a recession. Though the New York Federal Reserve’s recession probability tool only shows 28.7% chance of a recession occurring through June 2026, it has an uncanny track record of successfully forecasting economic downturns when this probability climbs above 32%, which it did in 2023 and 2024. The last time the New York Fed’s recession probability indicator provided a false positive was October 1966.

While most stocks tend to be adversely impacted by recessions, Meta is particularly vulnerable since almost 98% of its net sales derive from advertising. Businesses aren’t shy about paring their marketing budgets at the first signs of trouble.

It’s also possible Dan Loeb was skeptical of Meta’s future stock performance given CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plans to spend aggressively on AI-data center infrastructure. Despite Zuckerberg’s phenomenal track record of developing new products and monetizing them only when the time is right, he’s been consistently upping his company’s projected capital expenditures (capex). Meta’s capex forecast for 2025 slots in between $64 billion and $72 billion, which is up $5.5 billion at the midpoint from the company’s prior guidance.

Considering how pricey the stock market is as a whole, Wall Street and investors have little tolerance for mistakes. Meta Platforms spending billions on AI infrastructure above its prior forecast leaves the door open for disappointment.

While I don’t fault Dan Loeb for locking in his profits, I ultimately believe he’ll regret exiting this position when looking back years from now.

Third Point’s billionaire investor scooped up shares of a hypergrowth stock

Excluding options, Third Point’s 13F from the March-ended quarter shows billionaire Dan Loeb opened 10 new positions, none of which offers more intrigue than the face of the AI revolution, Nvidia (NVDA -2.42%).

During the first quarter, Loeb scooped up 1.45 million shares of Nvidia, which marks the first time his fund has held shares of this AI leader since the second quarter of 2023.

To state the obvious, the global potential for artificial intelligence as a technology is otherworldly. The ability for software and systems empowered with AI to make split-second decisions without human oversight is a game-changer for most industries around the world. Based on estimates from UN Trade and Development, the global AI market is projected to skyrocket from a reported $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion come 2033. That’s a 25X increase in a decade, for those of you keeping score at home.

Nvidia becoming Wall Street’s largest publicly traded company is a reflection of just how dominant its Hopper and Blackwell graphics processing units (GPUs) have been in AI-accelerated data centers. With demand for AI-GPUs significantly outweighing their supply, Nvidia has been able to not only sell more GPUs on a year-over-year basis, but also charge a 100%-plus premium to its direct external rivals. Not surprisingly, Nvidia’s gross margin soared as the AI revolution took shape.

Third Point’s billionaire investor might also be excited about Nvidia’s innovation timeline. CEO Jensen Huang expects to bring a new advanced AI chip to market annually. If all goes according to plan, Blackwell Ultra (2025), Vera Rubin (2026), and Vera Rubin Ultra (2027) will follow in the footsteps of Hopper and Blackwell. The key point here is that Nvidia’s compute advantages appear untouchable.

The other factor that’s kept Nvidia humming along is its premier CUDA software platform. This is what developers use to maximize the compute potential of their Nvidia GPUs, as well as to build and train large language models. CUDA is quietly doing a phenomenal job of keeping Nvidia’s clients loyal to its ecosystem of products and services.

But what, arguably, makes this buy intriguing is its timing. For more than three decades, every game-changing innovation has worked its way through an early stage bubble-bursting event. Though artificial intelligence shows plenty of promise, most businesses haven’t come anywhere close to optimizing their AI solutions as of yet. With signs pointing to AI being the next in a long line of bubbles, Nvidia stock could eventually crumble.

Loeb’s buy is also interesting in the sense that it comes as competition in the AI space is exploding. While most investors are paying close attention to direct external competition, the biggest threat to Nvidia likely comes from within. Many of its largest customers by net sales are internally developing AI-GPUs for their data centers. These chips, while inferior on a compute basis to Nvidia’s hardware, are notably cheaper and more readily accessible. They can minimize AI-GPU scarcity, reduce Nvidia’s pricing power and margins, and narrow its future opportunities in AI-accelerated data centers.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if this turned out to be nothing more than a quick trade for Third Point’s chief.

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Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Jeremy Bowman has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Constellation Energy and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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