Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, unveiled new AI-powered smart glasses during the company's annual developer conference, "Meta Connect." The new lineup includes devices developed in partnership with sunglasses brands Ray-Ban and Oakley. A key introduction was the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which feature a full-color, high-resolution screen in one lens, enabling video calls, message viewing, and a 12-megapixel camera. These Display glasses will retail for $799 and are set to be available this month. To control these glasses, Meta also introduced a neural wristband that allows users to perform tasks like sending messages using small hand gestures.
In addition to the Display glasses, Meta also revealed $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses, designed for sports enthusiasts, and the second generation of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, priced at $379. Analysts believe smart glasses are more likely to succeed than Meta's multi-billion dollar Metaverse project, as glasses offer a more everyday and less cumbersome form factor. However, the company faces the challenge of convincing a broad audience that the benefits outweigh the cost.
Zuckerberg also showcased a prototype of augmented reality (AR) glasses named 'Orion.' These chunky AR glasses represent Meta's long-term vision of integrating virtual elements into the real world. While the Ray-Ban smart glasses have seen around 2 million units sold since 2023, the Display glasses, with their higher price point, might face skepticism regarding their market traction compared to the more affordable and inconspicuous existing models.
