The Verge: Meta wants to release its first augmented reality glasses in 2024
Meta wants to release its first augmented reality glasses in mid-2024, The Verge writes based on internal sources. In addition, work is already underway on a lighter model, which should appear in 2026. Meta does not want to respond to questions from The Verge about the AR glasses and its roadmap.
The employees involved in the project are not allowed to speak about it publicly, writes The Verge. That is why the sources have remained anonymous.
The operating system of the glasses would be based on Android. According to the sources, Meta originally wanted to base the operating system on Google Fuschia, which is still under development. The glasses should in any case look like normal glasses. An important function of the AR glasses is video calling via holograms. With this, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to “provide a more immersive experience”.
Zuckerberg wants to achieve that with a field of view of 70 degrees, but that is “not feasible” with the current design of the glasses, the sources say. The glasses resemble Superman’s black frames when disguised as Clark Kent. The glasses reportedly weigh 100 grams, which is four times heavier than regular glasses and uses “modified waveguides and microLED projectors” for the screen. The user must control the glasses with their eye movements via eye tracking. The frame also gets a front camera and built-in speakers in the frame.
Meta has engaged semiconductor manufacturers in Asia to tailor chips for the glasses due in the second half of this decade. In 2026, a new version of the first AR glasses should be released ‘with a lighter, more advanced design’. Two years later, Meta reportedly wants to deliver a third generation. “Meta’s employees are toiling to deliver the first generation on time,” the sources tell The Verge.
Furthermore, Meta also plans to release a ‘cheaper smart glasses codenamed Hypernova’ in 2024. These would be equipped with a hud that shows received notifications and the glasses can be linked to a smartphone. It is not known exactly what these glasses will look like.