Meta is ready to unveil its next pair of AR glasses later this yr, as confirmed by its CEO and king of the ring, Mark Zuckerberg. Whereas that’s already information which will excite Meta Ray-Bans followers, we solely have a blurry picture of some glasses that bend in a couple of awkward locations.
Boston Globe common supervisor Matthew Karolian posted a blurry picture of glasses that fold close to the lens and halfway via every arm. Zuck responded to the Threads submit late into the evening Sunday in a means that successfully confirmed we had been wanting on the subsequent pair of AR glasses. He mentioned, “I will probably be able to share extra later this yr.” Doubtless, that can possible be Meta’s annual join convention set to happen on Sept. 25. That’s the identical convention the place Meta first showed off the latest Ray-Ban good glasses final yr.
As reported final week by The Info primarily based on nameless sources, the following pair of Meta glasses may have extra altered actuality capabilities, with the right-hand lens performing as a heads-up show utilizing typical projection tech. The report famous these glasses might be fairly heavy at about 70 grams. That’s near twice as a lot as your typical pair of sun shades. Therefore, that’s in all probability why the system in these photos has a reasonably chunky silhouette. The bend within the glasses’ arms may assist compensate for some heft, however we’ll want higher renders to invest.
Meta is reportedly bent off form over the branding for its subsequent huge step in combined actuality. The query is whether or not the following pair of glasses will keep that high-profile Ray Bans branding. The Info’s report claimed the following set of glasses is ditching the Ray-Ban emblem, however there’s extra at stake than the identify. Two new reviews declare Google needs a bit of the glasses pie and that the tech big is making an attempt to muscle out Meta on EssilorLuxottica’s dude-bro model.
The Financial Times and Bloomberg initially reported final week, primarily based on nameless sources, that Meta may attempt to spend thousands and thousands of {dollars} shopping for a 5% stake in glasses monolith EssilorLuxottica. The deal isn’t but finalized, however based on reviews, Meta’s working with Morgan Stanley on the deal. Based on a report from The Verge, Google can also be making an attempt to court docket EssilorLuxottica to place the corporate’s Gemini AI mannequin on future pairs of glasses. Meta already added vision and voice capabilities of its Llama AI model to final yr’s Meta Ray Bans.
The glasses have proved extremely popular, maybe much more so than the Meta Quest 3. EssilorLuxottica CEO Francesco Milleri mentioned final week that this newest pair of AR glasses bought twice as a lot because the initial set of Ray Bans Stories.
For many who don’t bear in mind the Google Glass controversies of yesteryear, you in all probability don’t keep in mind that Google initially partnered with Luxottica (earlier than the merger with Essilor in 2017) on the original Google smart glasses. These glasses never looked good, particularly with the big Borg-like lens piece protruding the entrance. If the Mountain View tech big needs to hitch its subsequent product to a legacy glasses model once more, it should make one thing that matches into the style-first philosophy of a product like Ray Bans.
If Meta’s AR glasses are certainly these hefty pairs we noticed within the blurry Threads picture, then EssilorLuxottica may be hard-pressed to current them to its typical buyer base as the following huge factor. Even when your glasses can whisper AI-generated climate reviews into your ear, there gained’t be a lot curiosity for those who can’t put on them with out feeling self-conscious.
Trending Merchandise
