- A new report claims that Meta is working on a pair of true AR glasses called Meta Orion.
- The Meta Orion demo is expected to be released during the Meta Connect conference later this year.
- Though the demo is expected later in 2024, the AR glasses will not be made available to the public until 2027.
If you think Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg taking a clever dig at Apple’s Vision Pro was enough, you were wrong. Meta’s gearing up for a lot more than meets the eye. After dominating the VR glasses space with its Quest headsets, we have now learned that the tech giant working on its first pair of “true” AR glasses called Meta Orion.
This information comes from a Business Insider report, which reveals the possibility of the world getting to see a Meta Orion demo at the Meta Connect event later in 2024. For those unaware, the Meta Connect 2023 event was held in September last year. So, we expect to see this year’s Connect event to be held somewhere around that time.
Recently, Meta launched their Ray-Ban smart glasses as well, so don’t confuse the upcoming Orion to be anywhere similar to these. However, we did see this coming. This is primarily because of Meta taking the mixed reality AR/VR route with their latest Meta Quest 3 headset. VR? Check. AR/ VR? Check. So, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out what their next move is going to be.
Meta Orion Release Date
See, it goes without saying that VR glasses are not meant to be worn throughout the day. They are bulky and weigh down on your face. Take the new Apple Vision Pro (~600 grams)for example. It is the AR glasses that can be comfortably worn for longer periods. However, Meta’s vision is for these AR glasses to replace your smartphone in a way that you don’t have to constantly rely on them.
Besides, the Orion is 8 years in the making at this point and the company has big plans for it. Last year, when presenting Meta’s roadmap for AR/VR devices, Alex Himel (Meta’s Vice President for AR), said,
“If we can put on shelves a great product at a great price with the right value, we believe we can get into these upgrade cycles and have a lot of growth of our devices. It’s on us to deliver.”
At this presentation, Himel also talked about the Orion being made available to Meta’s employees in 2024 to test out internally. However, Meta Orion will not be made available to the public until 2027, although the product is apparently in its advanced stages of development. But….
What to Expect from the Meta Orion AR Glasses?
Although nothing can be said for sure right now, one can only expect the Orion to bring similar functions as the Brilliant Labs’ Frame AI glasses. From being able to identify things that you look at by using eye tracking to accessing the internet or even acting as a live translator, the possibilities can be pretty limitless.
In other words, it’s like having a mini AI computer resting on your nose and ears gracefully without feeling even a quarter as heavy as the Apple Vision Pro. Not to mention that you can also expect these glasses to arrive with an additional layer for you to add prescription glasses to.
Then, of course, you can expect to see Meta AI act as a constant companion on the glasses. Most importantly, it will directly act as an add-on device for you if you are already in the Meta ecosystem. For, that seems to be the ultimate objective of the brand at this point — to create a stable ecosystem of Meta products that connect and make the most out of each other.
While the product seems like a far cry for now, are you excited to see the Meta Orion at work when the demo lands? Let us know in the comments below.
