During its annual Connect conference in California, Meta Platforms introduced Orion, its first operational augmented-reality glasses, and updated its virtual-reality and artificial-intelligence products.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, unveiled the Orion glasses, crafted from magnesium alloy and powered by Meta-designed silicon. Users can control these glasses through voice, hand-tracking, and a wrist-based neural interface. Describing Orion as a “development kit,” Zuckerberg highlighted Meta’s goal to develop these glasses into a more compact and affordable consumer product. The announcement boosted Meta’s shares by nearly 2%.
Meta also enhanced its AI assistant for Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. New features include QR code scanning and Spotify music streaming via voice commands. Plans for adding video features and real-time language translation between English, French, Italian, and Spanish were also announced, with Zuckerberg demonstrating the translation capability.
AI and Virtual Reality Innovations
Meta’s mixed-reality headset line included a new entry-level model, the Quest 3S. The digital assistant Meta AI received an audio upgrade to respond in celebrity voices, including Judi Dench and John Cena. Meta revealed that over 400 million people use Meta AI monthly, with 185 million returning weekly.
Meta released three new Llama 3 AI models, enhancing image and text processing capabilities. One model, designed for enhanced privacy, operates entirely on-device.
The previous Connect conference introduced an AI-powered digital assistant to the Ray-Ban glasses, making it a popular AI wearable. The partnership with EssilorLuxottica has been extended, and there are plans for a new generation of smart glasses capable of displaying text and images.
The Quest 3S headset, available from October 15, comes in two storage sizes, priced at $299.99 and $399.99. This launch coincides with the discontinuation of the Quest 2 and Quest Pro devices and a price reduction for the Quest 3 to $499.99.
