Apparently, Meta’s AR glasses prototype is the pinnacle of consumer electronics. So where is it?

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Apparently, Meta’s AR glasses prototype is the pinnacle of consumer electronics. So where is it?
Who here remembers Google Glass? Now who regrets that the project isn't a thing anymore? Well, I don’t know if you’ve raised a hand — I can’t really see you through the screen — but I’ll tell you this much: I did. So I'm really hoping that some other company picks up where Google left things off. A company like, say, Meta. 

AR glasses, as a concept, are really exciting to me. Sure, my smartwatch already tells me almost everything that I’d want a pair of AR glasses to show me, but that’s precisely the point: I want to see that info as part of the real world or as a heads-up display (HUD).

I mean, the idea of seeing my health stats and notifications at the upper right of my vision just sounds way more exciting than checking my wrist. Plus, then you’ve got all of the other things that just make more sense in AR, such as live translations, navigation and everything else that I imagine Iron Man can do from his suit.

But here’s the thing: even though the Quest 3 is one of the best VR headsets around, Meta’s smart glasses are pretty far from AR, as of now. But the company’s CTO claims that Meta is hiding a very exciting AR glasses prototype (subscription required) that we may get to see in 2024.

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So then, we can expect said prototype to have nothing to do with anything shown in this trailer. 


But I know what you’re thinking: where did that title come from? Well, in fact, it’s based on a quote from Andrew Bosworth, said CTO of Meta. And the entire thing goes a little bit like this:


Wowser! I truly can’t imagine what this prototype may look and feel like, or what it could be capable of.

Quite honestly, I also can’t imagine how said prototype can be the pinnacle of human production, but only in the consumer electronics realm, but that’s another story. But I do appreciate Andrew’s excitement!

So, let me ask the real question: if this prototype is the best thing since warm water, then why is this the first time we’re hearing about it? Why haven’t we seen it yet? Well, we don’t know. But we know this: it’s not part of Meta’s roadmap regarding smart glasses.




Even though Andrew is very much interested in the idea of putting screens on the Meta smart glasses and trying to make AR on them a thing, the prototype in question sounds like it has nothing to do with that line of products.

And that would be because it’s so insanely expensive to produce.

That being said, Bosworth does talk about it as if actually making a consumer product of this prototype is some sort of endgame. The CTO fully understands that a lot of price reduction and production optimization needs to happen before that, so hopefully this means that we won’t be comparing prices with the Vision Pro.

Here’s the deal: Meta isn’t the type of company to keep things under wraps for long. Historically, the company has been pretty transparent regarding its technical achievements, often openly showcasing and explaining prototypes in very early stages of work.

So this really has me wondering: if such an advanced prototype of AR glasses — as of now, an untapped market, one that a lot of us are waiting to see populated — why not show it?

Well, maybe some of us just aren’t prepared to see what “the most advanced thing that we’ve ever produced as a species” feels like in action. But hey: 2024 is finally here, so I hope that Andrew is right and we get to learn more about this prototype soon.

Hey, remember how after the Vision Pro got announced, everyone was suddenly making headsets? Well, through this prototype, Meta could have it's very own, similar moment, but for the realm of AR. Wouldn't that make 2024 even more special?
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