On August 2nd, Zuckerberg stated on Facebook’s recent earnings conference call that its next product will be “the first smart glasses launched in cooperation with Luxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban. )” .
“These glasses have (Ray-Ban) iconic shape, allowing you to do some very cool things.” Zuckerberg said, “I am very happy to let people experience these glasses, and in the future full augmented reality Progress continues on the road to full augmented reality glasses.”
Since 2019, there have been rumors that “Facebook is going to launch its own glasses”. At that time, a source disclosed to the foreign media CNBC that Facebook was cooperating with Ray-Ban’s parent company Luxottica to develop AR glasses code-named “Orion”.
“Orion” AR glasses are advertised as a fully functional product that can replace mobile phones, through which users can answer calls, view information and even conduct live video broadcasts. Last year, Hugo Barra, then vice president of virtual reality at Facebook Reality Labs, said that this AR glasses will be available in 2021. But until now, Facebook has not announced the specific release date of “Orion”.
1. If there is no display, it may be equipped with a camera and audio operating system
Facebook’s head of AR/VR hardware, Andrew Bosworth, conducted an interview with foreign media CNET about this smart glasses earlier this year. He said at the time: ” The glasses are not augmented reality glasses . However, many of the concepts they contain we think will eventually be realized in AR glasses.”
According to foreign media reports, Facebook has stated that the glasses will not be equipped with a display . Then the glasses may be operated by audio. Like Amazon’s Echo Frames, Bose Frames, or Razer’s Anzu glasses, these glasses may focus on audio as the current immersive tech.
Some foreign media speculate that these smart glasses may also be equipped with cameras, similar to Snap’s Spectacles.
Some foreign media believe that for Facebook, AR glasses are the key to its future development. Zuckerberg said that in addition to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality is also an important part of building a “meta universe.” He also said that in the future, Facebook will be transformed into a shared, livable platform, allowing users to use VR and AR to “teleport” between different social experiences.
2. The new glasses may be a peripheral for Facebook Meta Universe
“Meta universe” is the focus of recent attention of Silicon Valley and futurists. Although this concept has existed for more than a decade, it wasn’t until after the breakthrough success of multiplayer game creation platforms such as Fortnite and Roblox that the concept truly “out of the circle”.
For Facebook, Meta universe is more than just a “buzzword”. Zuckerberg said the company is spending billions of dollars to build its shared universe, which will house Facebook users and digital ads.
But if this vision is to be realized, Facebook needs to allow more users to buy its computing hardware. Therefore, its plan is to make these devices more affordable (lower prices so that more users can afford them).
Zuckerberg pointed out: “Our main business model will not be to sell high-priced equipment or similar products, because our mission is to provide services to as many people as possible.” He said that he hopes to control the cost of equipment In the range that more people can bear, let more users participate (in the meta-universe), and then expand the scale of the digital economy.
According to foreign media reports, the smart glasses are not the only hardware device that Facebook is developing. Several reports claim that Facebook is developing a smartwatch with a built-in cellular connection and a detachable display. Initially, people thought that the watch would be launched first, but Zuckerberg seemed to have other plans.
Conclusion: Metaverse reveals Facebook’s ambitions
The function and release time of Facebook’s smart glasses have not yet been finalized, but it can be seen that Facebook’s ambition and efforts in building its own meta-universe.
The meta universe is already a hot topic out of the circle, but so far there is no specific definition. AR/VR, as the “must have” hardware equipment for creating meta-universe, has triggered a competition for capital, and the major Internet giants have come to an end, but it is still unclear whether what is left is the wireless scenery or the chicken feathers.
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