Meta"s Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, starting at $299, have been a surprise hit. People prefer their lightweight design over bulkier headsets like the Apple Vision Pro, which, in the current scenario, is struggling to sell. Basking in the success of Ray-Ban AI smart glasses, Meta is reportedly planning to launch a premium pair of AR glasses called "Hypernova."
The Hypernova AR glasses will feature a smart display and are expected to launch as early as the end of this year. According to a report by Bloomberg, the Meta Hypernova smart glasses could be priced over $1,000, and might even touch the $1,300-$1,400 mark, equivalent to a flagship phone.
Meta has a bunch of features that they expect could justify the premium pricing. For starters, the Hypernova smart glasses will run built-in apps such as WhatsApp, Maps, and Messenger. Plus, Hypernova AR glasses will also have the ability to display apps and photos directly on their smart display.
The report suggests that the smart display is monocular, showing digital information only in the right eye. Also, the display is the clearest when the user looks downwards. Additionally, Meta could add an upgraded camera that will be on par with the iPhone 13 from 2021.
The best part is that Bloomberg claims that they got a chance to look at a prototype, and here"s how they explained how it will work:
- When they are turned on, the display shows a “boot screen” with logos for Meta and other partners — such as chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. — on the product.
- Once the device is on, the user will see a home screen comprised of circular icons laid out horizontally, similar to the app dock on Apple devices or Meta’s Quest mixed-reality headset.
- The glasses include dedicated apps for taking pictures, viewing photos and accessing maps. There is also support for notifications from phone apps, including Meta’s Messenger and WhatsApp.
- The glasses will otherwise work similarly to the current Wayfarer-style Ray-Ban Metas, focusing on capturing images and video, accessing AI via built-in microphones and pairing with a phone for calls and music playback. The new version will continue to rely heavily on the Meta View phone app.
- Like Meta’s other new devices, the glasses will run a highly customized version of the Android operating system from Alphabet Inc.’s Google. The company isn’t currently planning to include an on-board app store.
- Users will be able to control the glasses using capacitive touch controls on the sides of the glasses, meaning they can scroll through apps or photos by swiping against the temple bars and then tapping to open something specific.
Meta has also reportedly started working on the next-generation of Hypernova smart glasses, codenamed "Hypernova 2." They will feature binocular display, which means two displays—one for each eye. Also, Meta is working on a special wristband, codenamed "Ceres," which will let users control the smart glasses with their hand gestures.
The company is also developing new smart glasses without a display, codenamed "Supernova 2." They will be similar to the Ray-Ban smart glasses but will carry Oakley"s branding.