Delayed Debut: Meta Orion Smart Glasses Unlikely to Hit Shelves Until 2027, Sources Suggest
Rumors are swirling around Meta’s latest venture into the realm of augmented reality (AR) with the purported development of Meta Orion true AR smart glasses. Speculation abounds that these glasses could redefine the AR experience, elevating it to new heights of immersion and functionality. With reports suggesting that Meta is in the advanced stages of crafting this innovative device, anticipation is building for its potential debut at the company’s annual Connect event, a gathering eagerly awaited by developers and tech enthusiasts alike. If the murmurs are to be believed, Meta Orion could mark a significant departure from its previous foray into smart eyewear, the Ray-Ban smart glasses, offering a distinct AR experience that sets it apart in both function and design.
Recently, the tech world was abuzz with the unveiling of Brilliant Lab’s Frame AI Glasses, which showcased a glimpse into the future of wearable AR technology. It’s suggested that Meta Orion might share similarities with this cutting-edge creation, hinting at a sleek and intuitive design coupled with powerful AR capabilities. However, while anticipation mounts for a potential reveal at Meta Connect, sources indicate that consumers may need to exercise patience. Despite the eagerness to showcase a high level of performance at the event, insiders suggest that the Meta Orion smart glasses are unlikely to hit the shelves anytime soon.
The delay in the release of Meta Orion, if confirmed, could be attributed to various factors, including the complexities of perfecting AR technology and ensuring a seamless user experience. Nonetheless, Meta seems poised to leverage the Connect event as a platform to generate excitement and gather feedback from the community.
By providing a tantalizing glimpse into the future of AR, Meta aims not only to showcase its technological prowess but also to gauge the market’s readiness for such groundbreaking innovation. As the countdown to Meta Connect begins, all eyes are on Meta Orion, poised to potentially redefine the landscape of augmented reality.
Separately, a report by The Verge has claimed that Meta’s first true AR glasses will only be launched in 2027. The report found the company’s roadmap presentation for AR and VR devices. A possible reason for the delay could be that the technology itself is not ready. At the moment, no other details about Orion smart glasses are known. However, it is not likely to be similar to the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses which have no display features. Meta Quest series comes closest to what enthusiasts should expect, however, the headset is virtual reality (VR) focused and has only some AR experiences included.
True AR smart glasses would instead be closer to the Apple Vision Pro or Frame AI Glasses, which will superimpose elements from a digital display into the real world. The Frame AI Glasses weigh under 40g and feature two layers of lenses, with the outer being an augmented reality (AR) lens and the inner being an optional space to attach a prescription lens. The display in the device is a micro-OLED panel and the entire setup uses magnets to fit components.
Coming to its features, the Frame AI glasses have visual recognition capabilities and can offer descriptions of the objects visible on the lens. It can also translate text in real-time, show nutrition details of food products, do live web searches, and even generate images and place them in real-world conditions using the AR lens. The company has said that the visual analysis feature and live translation are powered by OpenAI’s AI models, and Perplexity AI enables live web search.