Meta Platforms is preparing to unveil a new generation of smart glasses featuring built-in displays at its upcoming two-day Connect conference, marking the company’s most ambitious push yet into wearable augmented reality. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who has invested more than $60 billion since 2020 into the company’s AR and AI ventures, has positioned smart glasses as a central gateway for integrating advanced artificial intelligence into daily human experiences. The launch underscores Meta’s determination to lead in the race toward superintelligence — a concept where AI surpasses human capabilities across the board — even as critics and whistleblowers accuse the company of prioritizing growth and profit over user safety.

Alongside the new display-equipped Hypernova glasses, Meta is expected to introduce its first wristband controller that enables users to interact with the glasses through hand gestures. The company will also refresh its popular Ray-Ban line with upgraded cameras, longer battery life, and new AI-driven features. Meta is one of the few major technology companies to achieve consumer traction in smart glasses, having sold roughly two million pairs since 2023 through its partnership with eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica. Despite this success, the AR division continues to rack up billions in losses as Meta seeks to position itself for long-term dominance in wearable computing.

Reports suggest that the upcoming Hypernova glasses could feature branding from Italian luxury house Prada, whose thick frame designs are seen as well-suited to accommodate the bulky hardware needed for display and AI functions. While Prada has not commented, such a partnership would mirror Meta’s strategy of pairing high-tech devices with established fashion labels to make them more appealing to style-conscious consumers.
Analysts, however, remain skeptical of mass-market adoption, pointing to the expected $800 price tag — more than double the starting cost of Meta’s Ray-Ban models and significantly higher than sportier alternatives like Oakley glasses.

Industry experts warn that the high cost, combined with a design that is likely to remain bulkier than conventional eyewear, will limit demand in the near term. “These glasses will be somewhat bulky and not the most consumer-friendly design. It is also going to be pretty expensive. So the volumes are going to be fairly low,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC’s worldwide mobile device tracker. He estimates that sales could reach only a few hundred thousand units initially. Still, the glasses could play a pivotal role in attracting software developers, who are essential for building the ecosystem of applications that could eventually make such devices indispensable.

As part of this strategy, Meta is expected to roll out a new software development kit that will open its smart glasses to third-party developers. By fostering a wider pool of apps and use cases, the company aims to replicate the model that helped smartphones become ubiquitous. While the Hypernova glasses may not yet be ready for mass adoption, the launch represents another important step in Meta’s long-term vision of mainstreaming wearable augmented reality and embedding AI into daily life. For Zuckerberg, the push into premium smart glasses is less about immediate profits and more about securing Meta’s role in shaping the future of human-computer interaction.

Source: Reuters.