MARK Zuckerberg is secretly readying a pair of smart glasses with a built-in screen, insiders claim.
The AI-powered specs are said to include a camera, microphone, speakers, as well as a small display in the right lens.
6
6
Zuckerberg’s tech company Meta has already served up several pairs of smart glasses.
These hi-tech specs are built in collaboration with glasses giant Ray-Ban – with newer models including a voice-controlled Meta AI helper.
Now Meta is reportedly working on its first pair of glasses with a built-in screen.
That’s according to a Bloomberg report that claims the “deluxe” new specs would be able to display photos and apps.
It would be controlled by hand gestures, and is seen by Meta as being a step closer to glasses offering “an alternative to Apple’s iPhone”.
The gadget is reportedly codenamed Hypernova, according to the unnamed sources who “asked not to be identified”.
Current Ray-Ban Meta Glasses start at £299/$299, and have smart features (like speakers, a microphone, and a camera) but regular lenses.
By comparison, the new Hypernova version with the built-in screen will reportedly cost somewhere between $1,000 and $1,400.
“The significant price increase for the new model is driven almost entirely by the screen, which is a monocular panel that will be located in the lower-right quadrant of the right lens,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes.
“That means information will only be displayed in front of the wearer’s right eye and will appear most clearly when they are looking downward.”
The gadget is expected to launch later this year, with a second version due in 2027.
Users will turn the screen on to see a list of apps – like they would on Meta VR headsets or the Apple Vision Pro goggles.
You’d then be able to look at pictures you’ve taken, view maps, and see notifications from chat apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger – both of which are owned by Meta.
And like existing Meta smart glasses, you’d be able to snap pics, listen to music, and use your voice to ask the built-in AI questions.
6
You’d control the glasses with a touch panel on the side of the specs, as well as using a “neural wristband” that lets you make gestures like pinching and swiping.
This would reportedly come included in the box, and has an alleged codename “Ceres”.
The camera is also due for an upgrade, with a more powerful shooter equivalent to the one on the iPhone 13, the report says.
Sadly Meta hasn’t confirmed that any such product exists.
THE SUN’S SEAN KEACH TRIES META SPECS
The Sun’s Head of Technology and Science Sean Keach had a chance to don the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses at Meta HQ in September 2024 – here’s what he wrote…
I wear glasses every day, so the idea of donning a pair of specs isn’t exactly alien to me.
But convincing people with perfectly sharp eyesight to put on a pair of glasses might be a bit of an ask.
Mark Zuckerberg and friends think they’ve clocked it with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses – serving up enough features for you to consider signing over some of your face real estate to them.
I got a chance to look at probably two dozen different shapes and sizes of glasses, and plenty of them look great.
The only clear downside is that they have a bit of bulk compared to regular glasses, but it’s not a huge problem. And especially not if you’re buying the sunglasses, where bigger specs feels a bit more palatable.
Anyway once they were on, using Meta AI was extremely easy.
I would just say “Hey Meta” followed by a simple request.
I used it to instantly translate a sign from Spanish to English, to scan a QR code, and to remind me to buy something later.
It was very easy and worked eerily well. It really was like having an AI assistant in my brain.
Once Meta adds the ability for it to analyse video of what you’re seeing, as well as live-translate language for you, it’s going to be a game-changer.
But I wasn’t able to test either of those features at the time.
What I will say is that they feel like a worthwhile buy for gadget fans, even minus those bonus features coming down the line.
And even if you don’t use any of the AI stuff, it’s quite fun to have a camera on your face. And yes, you can control that with your voice too.
6
However, it recently showed off an even more futuristic gadget called Orion at an event last year.
Those specs would let you see holographic visuals overlaid on the real world around you.
And speaking to The Sun’s Sean Keach at the time, Meta tech chief Andrew Bosworth revealed how the glasses could bring about a future where the glasses replace TVs and phones.
The Sun has asked Meta for comment and will update this story with any response.
6
6
