At the Meta Connect Developer Conference, Facebook Group Meta Head Mark Zuckerberg shows a prototype computer glasses that can display digital objects on transparent lenses.
Andrej Sokolow | Photo Alliance | Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg announced on Wednesday the $799 Metaray-Ban display glasses, the social media company’s first consumer-ready smart glasses.
The $799 glasses include a small digital display that can be controlled via hand gestures via a wristband with nerve technology, and we checked out a CNBC report in August. A new smart glasses promotional video appeared on Meta’s YouTube page on Monday, but was later removed.
Thursday 11:00am ET: Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox joins CNBC TV to discuss with Julia Bourgstin, the highlight of Meta’s annual connect event, and live from the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park California.
The new smart glasses are the bridge between the company’s audio-only Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and the experimental Orion Expansion Reality Glasses revealed by the company at last year’s Connect event. Orion can overlay 3D visuals on a person’s real-world vision with the help of wireless computing packs, but glasses are expensive and are not yet available to consumers.
Metaray-Ban display glasses come with a metalneural band, an EMG wristband that allows users to control the device using hand gestures.
“These are classic style glasses you’d expect from Ray-Ban, but they’re the first AI glasses to have a high-resolution display and a fully weighted metaleneural band,” says Zuckerberg.
Zuckerberg said new glasses can help you perform tasks like watching videos through the display and watch text messages. Displays do not block people’s views and disappear when they are not in use, he said.
The glasses will be on sale in the US on September 30th.
During the demonstration, Zuckerberg repeatedly attempted to fail Metatech Chief Andrew Bosworth.
“This is uh, you know, it happens,” Zuckerberg said.
Meta has been developing smart glasses with Eyewear giant Essilorluxottica since 2019, and last year renewed its long-term partnership agreement to continue its products.
On Wednesday, the company also debuted its Oakley Metavanguard Smart Glasses, aimed at athletes participating in high-intensity sports such as snowboarding and mountain biking. Oaklevel brand glasses cost $499 when they are released on October 21st, and cost $100 more than the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses sold in June.
The Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses have a sportier look than the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, thanks to a wrap-around design that expands colorful lenses around the temple of people. Unlike the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, the new model includes a button on the bottom of the frame, making it easier for helmet-wearing athletes to capture photos and videos.
The new sports-centric smart glasses have a battery life of up to nine hours, allowing you to capture 3K video and include speakers larger than their predecessors. Glasses can be connected to Garmin branded fitness watches and use the Meta AI assistant to track specific statistics, such as heart rate. Pre-orders begin today.
Meta has also debuted Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2), the latest version of the company’s original smart glasses. The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) is from $299 to $379 for the version released in 2023. The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) has a more powerful camera that can capture 3K Ultra HD video with double the battery life of previous models, lasting 8 hours on a single charge. The new glasses are on sale today.
Zuckerberg also announced Horizon TV and pitched it as a way to watch movies using television shows, sporting events and movies. According to Zuckerberg, Meta’s partners that provide content to the app include Disney and Universal Photos.
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