Meta has been rumored to be working on a pair of augmented reality smart glasses for a long time, and we might finally get a glimpse of them later this year. Business Insider reports, citing unnamed Meta sources, that the company plans to demonstrate a pair of "real" AR smart glasses at the MetaConnect conference later this fall.
The glasses, which were developed internally under the codename "Orion," are a separate product from the recently launched Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and its MetaQuest headset. The former does not have any visual AR elements, although it has some beta multi-modal audio AI capabilities and cameras. Meanwhile, the MetaQuest headset is mainly used for VR games and a small number of mixed reality experiences.
On the surface, Orion glasses qualify as "real" AR devices because they are more technologically advanced and have more powerful visual elements -- other aspects we don't yet know much about. According to reports, with the official release of Apple Vision Pro, Meta is now under a lot of internal pressure. Senior management requires a high-quality and impressive demonstration, and some company insiders are already testing advanced prototypes.
Still, the glasses don't seem ready for prime time just yet. BusinessInsider reports that even though the glasses were demoed at MetaConnect, they won't be available to the public. The company plans to launch the glasses "in-house" in 2024, with a public release planned for 2027. Before that, we are more likely to see the third generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses equipped with a "brain-computer interface" as an input device in 2025.