September is gearing up to be one of the most exciting months of the year for new technology launches, and we're not just talking about the iPhone 17. Meta is reportedly set to unveil its next-generation smart glasses code-named Hypernova. According to Bloomberg, the smart glasses are set to start around $800 for the basic model, at least $200 less than previously thought.
These glasses will reportedly differ from the current Meta Ray-Bans due to the addition of a small augmented-reality display in the right lens, which will only be visible to the wearer. On the display, you'll be able to see mini apps and alerts, and you'll have control over the content with assistance from the same neural input wristband used to operate Meta Orion AR glasses.
When CNET editor-at-large Scott Stein tried out the concept wristband with Orion earlier this year, he noted that the gestures "weren't perfect yet," but that he could see their potential.
Meta has clearly been "buoyed" by the success of its Ray-Ban specs, said Leo Gebbie, analyst and Americas director at CCS Insight.
The major question for Hypernova will be to what extent it deviates from the current Ray-Ban smart glasses model, which has proven to be very successful. "Demand for these glasses has been driven by the fact that they look like normal eyewear from a well-known brand and offer an impressive feature set at a relatively affordable price point," Gebbie said.
The Hypernova glasses will cost around $500 more than the Meta Ray-Bans, a significant price difference. Gebbie said that it remains unknown whether the Hypernova glasses will look as sleek as the Ray-Bans.
Knowing this might be a tough sell, Meta has apparently managed to slash that price from $1,000 by accepting lower margins, per Bloomberg. The company likely hopes that by keeping the cost as low as possible, it will convince a broader range of future buyers to accept its theory that glasses are the future of tech.
Even at a lower price, you'll probably pay more for prescription lenses or style variations.
Smart glasses: The phone killer?
The question hanging over any smart glasses, including Meta's, is whether they will one day be capable of freeing us from our smartphones.
"These new premium spec Hypernova smart glasses are taking over more tasks that can be done by a phone by including things like a small screen in the bottom right of the right lens, creating Meta's first augmented reality glasses available to consumers," said Frederick Stanbrell, head of wearables at IDC.
They are also rumored to have a smartphone-quality camera and a competent voice-activated AI query tool. When you add it all up, Stanbrell said, "These glasses are beginning to look like a mobile phone competitor."
But based on what we know so far, the Hypernova glasses won't be a stand-alone device, at least for the moment, according to Stanbrell. Instead, they're designed to be a companion to your mobile phone while offering a glimpse of what's to come.
"We are likely seeing the first generation of a device that Mark Zuckerberg intends to one day replace phones," he said.
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