- Kyle Chua
Mark Zuckerberg Wants His Own “iPhone Moment” When He Launches Meta’s AR Glasses in 2024
Meta seems to be throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the development of the metaverse and the technologies around it, including augmented reality (AR). One such project that the social media giant is reportedly working on is a pair of AR glasses that it plans to release in 2024.
According to The Verge’s anonymous sources, the glasses are part of Project Nazare, an initiative at Meta that looks to leverage the capabilities of AR to realise its vision of the metaverse. It’s said to work on its own without needing a phone, but would need a similarly-shaped device to handle the computing. Also, the software is supposedly based on Android.
As for features, it could come with 3D visuals, eye tracking, an outward-facing camera, stereo audio and a wide field of view. The highlight, however, would be the ability for the wearer to communicate with holograms, as demonstrated by Meta in its rebranding campaign last year.
The report further notes that the company is already planning a "lighter, more advanced" model slated for 2026 as well as a third iteration in 2028.
Meta is also developing a different pair of smart glasses that pairs with phones. Codenamed Hypernova, this device can show wearers notifications on the small display. It’s also scheduled to come out in 2024.
A price point hasn’t been decided for the initial model of Project Nazare, but Meta doesn't think it’ll sell all that well, with expected sales numbers in the low tens of thousands. The company plans to market the first release towards early adopters and developers.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg does hope that AR glasses and the technology powering them eventually catch on, which can help cast his company in a new light. He wants the AR glasses to be an “iPhone moment” for Meta, a release that would shake the industry and make consumers want to buy into a new product.
Last year, Meta teamed up with Ray-Ban to release the Ray-Ban Stories, a pair of smart glasses that can capture photos and video and play music. They, of course, don't have the AR capabilities of this yet-to-be-announced model of smart glasses.
Meta is reportedly working on a pair of augmented reality glasses as part of Project Nazare, which is targeting a 2024 release.
The glasses would be based on Android and feature 3D visuals, eye tracking and an outward-facing camera, among other features.
While Meta is not expecting big sales numbers, CEO Mark Zuckerberg does hope the glasses eventually catch on and become his "iPhone moment".