Meta Orion, ‘true’ AR smart glasses could reportedly be released in late 2024

Meta is reportedly working on new smart glasses that could offer a true augmented reality (AR) experience. According to reports, Meta Orion true AR smart glasses are in an advanced stage of development and could be announced and demoed at the company’s annual Connect event for developers. The device is said to be separate from Ray-Ban smart glasses. In certain features and form factors, they may be similar to Brilliant Lab’s Frame AI Glasses announced earlier this month.

According to a report from Business Insider, Meta’s true AR glasses project is called Orion, which could also be the product name. Citing anonymous sources, the report claimed that the company’s AR team has been asked to have the smart glasses ready in time for the MetaConnect event so they can demonstrate “high-level” performance. However, it is said that the wearable device is unlikely to be released this year, even if an advanced prototype is ready for demonstration. The demo is intended to generate excitement about the product and the tech giant’s capabilities and gauge public reaction to determine the product’s market suitability.

Separately, The Verge reports that Meta’s first true AR glasses won’t launch until 2027. The report revealed the company’s roadmap presentation for AR and VR devices. The reason for the delay could be that the technology itself is not ready. Other details about the Orion smart glasses are unknown at this time. However, it is unlikely to be similar to the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which do not have a display function. The Meta Quest series is the closest to what enthusiasts would expect, but the headsets focus on virtual reality (VR) and only include some AR experiences.

True AR smart glasses will be more like Apple Vision Pro or Frame AI Glasses, which overlay elements of a digital display onto the real world. Frame AI Glasses weigh less than 40g and feature two layers of lenses, with an augmented reality (AR) lens on the outside and an optional space to attach prescription lenses on the inside. The device’s display is a micro-OLED panel, and the entire setup uses magnets to attach components.

As for the features of the Frame AI glasses, they have visual recognition capabilities and can provide descriptions of objects visible on the lenses. You can also translate text in real-time, view nutritional details of foods, perform live web searches, and generate images and place them in real-world situations using AR lenses. You can also. The company says visual analytics and live translation are powered by OpenAI’s AI models, and Perplexity AI enables live web search.