A successor to glasses is coming Ray-Ban MetaHowever, its price can be as much as five times higher. AR glasses for enthusiasts only?
Meta, a company focusing on immersive technologies such as VR, AR and MR, as well as artificial intelligence, does not intend to slow down. At last year's Meta Connect event, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the company's latest product - budget goggles Meta Quest 3S - and a prototype of advanced Augmented Reality glasses called Orion. Such a device is the holy grail of technology - lightweight glasses that allow us to display content and enrich our reality, a vision familiar from science fiction that is gradually becoming a reality.
Although the Orion glasses presented by Meta's CEO are not and will not be available for sale, the company has repeatedly stressed that consumer versions are not a distant future. According to leaks, full-fledged AR glasses, offering all the features of the presented prototype (albeit with slightly weaker components), could hit the market as early as 2027. It turns out, however, that we won't have to wait that long for new hardware from Meta - although they won't be full-fledged AR glasses yet, they will certainly fit into this category.
Rumours that Meta is planning to launch new glasses with a built-in screen, improved cameras and more powerful components have been circulating for a long time. The Verge, The Information, The Financial Times and Mark Gurman agreethat the device will be launched later this year.
The glasses, known by the codename 'Hypernova', will be a more expensive and advanced version of the Ray-Ban Metawhich have been very successful. This time, however, they will not be created in collaboration with Ray-Ban - the entire project is to be carried out exclusively by Meta. According to leaks, the price of the device will be $1,300 to $1,400, which, when converted to Zloty, including tax, could mean a cost in excess of £6,000, or even approaching £7,000. This is a huge leap compared to the Meta Ray-Ban, which cost around $300 (around £1,600).
The 'Hypernova' and Meta Ray-Ban glasses will be sold in parallel, so one will not replace the other. The Hypernova, however, is to be a premium version with innovative features. All right, but exactly what capabilities will this model offer?
The Hypernova is expected to feature a small screen located at the bottom of the right lens. The device will also receive higher resolution cameras and, of particular note, neural interface bandwhich will allow the control of glasses. This technology has been demonstrated by Meta before - an identical armband was seen at the presentation of Orion glasses on Meta Connect a year ago. It allows the wearer to control the device with micro gestures and light finger taps. Crucially, the glasses don't need to see your hand to recognise the gestures - the wristband itself does. This means that you can control the interface even when your hand is in your pocket. This will make operating the glasses more convenient and discreet, especially in public places.
Features familiar from Meta Ray-Ban eyewear will also be available on Hypernova. We can expect the popular Meta AI (although not in Poland), buttons for taking photos and recording video, built-in speakers for listening to music, podcasting and chatting, and microphones.
The glasses will receive an app library, which is expected to include Maps. This may mean that navigation will appear on the glasses' screen. The weight of the device will increase slightly - from 50g on the Meta Ray-Ban to around 70g.
With such a high price tag, it is difficult to expect interest at the level the Ray-Ban Metas have achieved. However, this device could lay a solid foundation for future models in this category, which will become cheaper and also more functional over time.
