Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a range of new products and features during the company’s annual “Connect” conference, highlighting advancements in augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and generative AI.
IDC report says Meta Platforms (60.5 percent share), Sony, Apple, ByteDance, and XREAL are the leading vendors in the augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets market during the second quarter of 2024.
The size of the AR/VR headsets market in terms of shipment fell 28.1 percent to 1.1 million units in Q2 2024. IDC says AR/VR headsets shipments are forecast to drop 1.5 percent in 2024. AR/VR headsets market is expected to achieve 41.4 percent growth in 2025 thanks to new tech and more affordable devices.
Augmented Reality Glasses
Meta revealed Orion, its most advanced augmented reality glasses, which the company claims to be the world’s lightest AR glasses, weighing less than 100 grams. The see-through glasses allow users to interact with virtual objects overlaid on their real-world environment. With Orion, wearers can access WhatsApp and Messenger, make video calls, and retrieve information from their surroundings. Meta also mentioned it is working on a consumer version of the device, which is powered by a custom chip, Reuters news report said.
Affordable Mixed Reality Headset
Meta unveiled the Quest 3S, an affordable mixed reality headset, available in two storage options, priced at $299.99 and $399.99, set to hit shelves on October 15. The company also reduced the price of its 512GB Meta Quest 3 headset to $499.99, down from $649.99, while discontinuing the older Quest 2 and high-end Quest Pro devices.
Multimodal Llama 3.2 AI
Meta introduced Llama 3.2, its first open-source multimodal AI model, which can generate content based on both image and text prompts. Lightweight versions of Llama 3.2, capable of running natively on mobile devices, were also announced.
New Voice Capabilities for Meta AI
Meta’s AI chatbot now supports voice interactions, featuring celebrity voices like Judi Dench and John Cena. The voice functionality is available through Meta AI across platforms including Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram direct messages.
Updates to Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses
Meta also announced updates to its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which now come with AI tools for reminders, QR code scanning, and phone number recognition via voice commands. Later this year, these glasses will receive additional AI capabilities, including real-time language translation and enhanced video functionality.