Rumours circulate as Meta and Snap prepare updates to smartglasses
Life
Facebook and Snap already have a foothold in the smartglasses space thanks to colaborations with Ray-Ban, Oakley and some striking design
Apples first smart glasses, the Apple Glass, are expected to hit the market in late 2026 or early 2027. The first version will not include a full augmented reality display, but will focus on audio, video recording and connectivity with the iPhone.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple will introduce Apple Glass in 12-16 months. It will be glasses without a built-in display.
AR functionality, such as displaying information via built-in lenses, is not expected until much later. Apple first needs to make the hardware smaller and lighter to get close to the weight of regular glasses, Gurman reported.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said mass production will not start until the second quarter of 2027 with a Ray-Ban-like model without a display but with cameras, audio and AI-based environment detection. Full XR lenses (with AR displays) would not be available until the second half of 2028.
Apple finally released the Vision Pro in 2024 after years of development. The headset offers both virtual and augmented reality experiences: thanks to a series of cameras on the device, including cameras that track your eye movements, you can immerse yourself in realistic virtual environments.
The headset offers both virtual and augmented reality experiences: thanks to a series of cameras on the device, including cameras that track your eye movements, you can immerse yourself in realistic virtual environments.
The product received good reviews, but nevertheless flopped because of its $3,500 price tag.
Analysts expect Apple to announce a new version of the AR glasses Vision Pro this year, with slightly better hardware, but Vision Pro 2 is not expected before 2027.
The competition is not sitting still: Meta will present a new, more expensive pair of smart glasses with built-in display later today at its annual Connect event. The glasses are internally codenamed Hypernova and will presumably be marketed under the name Celeste for $800.
The new Hypernova will be heavier and pricier than existing Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley smart glasses, which start at $299 and $399 respectively.
Meta will also introduce for the first time a wristband that allows the glasses to be controlled via hand gestures. At the same time, there will be an update to the Ray-Ban line, with improved cameras, longer battery life and support for new AI features.
At the same time, there will be an update to the Ray-Ban line, with improved cameras, longer battery life and support for new AI features.
Snap is coming out with a new model Specs in 2026, running on Snap OS 2.0, with a user-friendly interface, an open development platform and integrated AI features. The current development version (Spectacles 5) weighs around 226g, which is still too heavy for long-term use; hand gesture controls work, but are reportedly not yet optimal.
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