Meta✴ continues to develop the direction of wearable devices and, in addition to updating its popular Ray-Ban glasses, is preparing to release a new model of smart glasses under the Oakley brand for athletes, while simultaneously considering the possibility of creating watches and headphones with cameras that will be equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) functions. .
Image Source: Oakley
The company is also set to release new premium glasses with a built-in display in 2025, while continuing to actively work on its unreleased augmented reality (AR) device, which it plans to introduce by 2027. A Meta✴ spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s plans, but Bloomberg notes that “the surge in new product development activity is part of Meta✴’s strategy to position itself as an innovative AI company, with a focus on hardware that could usher in a new era.” calculations.”
The company has already invested tens of billions of dollars in creating virtual and augmented reality technologies, but so far it has not achieved mass success. Meta✴ currently sells Ray-Ban smart glasses that can take photos, analyze the environment, play music and take calls, but according to experts, they are not a full-fledged augmented reality device, and therefore Meta✴ is going to expand the product line and preparing three key changes.
To begin with, Ray-Ban glasses will be introduced into new markets, and the technology will be adapted for other brands owned by partner Luxottica Group SA, including Oakley. Next, a new version of Supernova 2 glasses will be aimed at cyclists and will have a camera built into the center of the frame. And finally, in 2025, the Hypernova glasses are expected to be released with a display on the right lens, which can show notifications, photos and work with simple applications.
Meta✴ is also testing different ways to control its devices. Among them is the Ceres bracelet, which will allow you to control the functions of the glasses and can be included as an accessory with Hypernova glasses. An alternative to the bracelet will be touch panels on the arms of the frame, but in the future Meta✴ devices may work in tandem with smart watches, which, however, the company does not yet produce.
In addition to glasses, Meta✴ is considering the possibility of creating a competitor to AirPods – headphones with built-in cameras that can analyze surrounding objects using artificial intelligence. However, the early stage of development of this device still faces some difficulties, including inconvenience for people with long hair and insufficiently precise positioning of the cameras. Therefore, the project, called “Camera Buds,” may be cancelled.