Meta launches smart glasses with built-in display, reaching for ‘superintelligence’
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A visitor reviewing the new Meta smart glasses during the Meta annual Connect conference for developers in California.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MENLO PARK, California – Meta Platforms on Sept 17 launched its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display, seeking to extend the momentum of its Ray-Ban line, one of the early consumer hits of the artificial intelligence (AI) era.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg showed off what he called Meta Ray-Ban Display, although some demos of the new technology did not go as planned, with a call to the glasses failing to go through, for instance.
“I don’t know what to tell you guys,” he said. “I keep on messing this up.” The crowd applauded.
Meta has tasted success with its smart glasses, and Mr Zuckerberg described them as the perfect way to expand toward the “superintelligence” – a concept where AI surpasses human intelligence
“Glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence, because they let you stay present in the moment while getting access to all of these AI capabilities that make you smarter, help you communicate better, improve your memory, improve your senses, and more,” Mr Zuckerberg said.
The glasses have a small digital display in the right lens for basic tasks such as notifications. They will start at US$799 (S$1,020) and be available on Sept 30 in stores.
The launch at Meta’s annual Connect conference for developers, held at its Menlo Park, California, headquarters, is its latest attempt to catch up in the high-stakes AI race.
While the social media giant has been at the forefront of developing smart glasses, it trails rivals such as OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google in rolling out advanced AI models.
To catch up, Mr Zuckerberg has kicked off a Silicon Valley talent war
He has also touted smart glasses as the ideal device for superintelligence because they serve as a personal, always-on interface that can see, hear and interact with the world through the user’s perspective.
Working toward that vision, Meta also unveiled on Sept 17 a new pair of Oakley-branded glasses called Vanguard aimed at athletes and priced at US$499.
The device integrates with fitness platforms such as Garmin and Strava to deliver real-time training stats and post-workout summaries, and offers nine hours of battery life.
It will be available starting on Oct 21.
It updated its Ray-Ban line, now offering almost twice the battery life of the previous generation and a better camera at US$379, higher than the previous generation’s US$299 price.
All the devices have existing features such as Meta’s AI assistant, cameras, hands-free control and live-streaming to the company’s social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
The new glasses come as Meta is facing scrutiny over its handling of child safety on its social media platforms.
Reuters reported in August that Meta chatbots engaged children in provocative conversations
Meta’s new smart glasses, likely named Celeste, are not expected by analysts to post strong sales, but they believe it could be a step toward the planned 2027 launch of its Orion prototype, unveiled in 2024 and described by Mr Zuckerberg as “the time machine to the future”.
“It wasn’t long ago that consumers were introduced to AI on glasses and in recent quarters brands have also begun to include displays, enabling new use cases,” said Mr Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.
“However, consumer awareness and product availability of AI glasses with display remains limited. This will change as Meta, Google, and others launch products in the next 18 months.”
IDC forecasts worldwide shipments of augmented reality or virtual reality headsets and display-less smart glasses will grow 39.2 per cent in 2025 to 14.3 million units, with Meta driving much of the growth thanks to demand for the Ray-Bans it makes with EssilorLuxottica. REUTERS
