Agency News
'Why buy a network that even Dentsu couldn’t fix?': Inside the gamble of Dentsu's international arm sale
Meta launches first display-equipped smart glasses, pushes AI ‘superintelligence’ vision
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg described the glasses as a stepping stone towards the “superintelligence” era of AI, where technology surpasses human intelligence across all domains.
The device features a small digital display embedded in the right lens for basic functions such as notifications.
Meta Platforms has unveiled its first consumer-ready smart glasses with a built-in display, marking the latest push by the social media giant to expand its footprint in artificial intelligence hardware.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display, launched at the company’s annual Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, will retail at $799 and be available in stores from 30 September. The device features a small digital display embedded in the right lens for basic functions such as notifications.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg described the glasses as a stepping stone towards the “superintelligence” era of AI, where technology surpasses human intelligence across all domains.
Zuckerberg told attendees that glasses are the ideal form factor for personal superintelligence, because they let people stay present in the moment while getting access to all of these AI capabilities that make them smarter, help communicate better, improve memory, improve senses, and more.
Some demonstrations were less smooth, with a call to the glasses failing to connect during the launch. Nevertheless, the product builds on the popularity of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have been among the company’s early consumer successes in the AI era.
Expanding portfolio and competition Meta also introduced Oakley-branded Vanguard glasses designed for athletes. Priced at $499, the device links with platforms such as Garmin and Strava to provide real-time training data, post-workout summaries and up to nine hours of battery life. It will be available from 21 October.
In addition, the company refreshed its Ray-Ban line — without a display — which now offers nearly double the battery life and an improved camera. The updated model is priced at $379, up from the previous $299 version.
Despite its advances in wearables, Meta trails competitors such as Google and OpenAI in the release of advanced AI models. The company has pledged tens of billions of dollars in investment, particularly in AI chips, and has aggressively recruited engineers in Silicon Valley to close the gap.
The launch comes as Meta faces criticism over child safety on its platforms. Reports have revealed instances of Meta chatbots engaging children in inappropriate conversations, while whistleblowers alleged that research into potential harms of virtual reality for children was blocked internally.
Industry analysts expect strong demand for Meta’s hardware. Research firm IDC forecasts global shipments of AR/VR headsets and smart glasses without displays to rise 39.2% in 2025 to 14.3 million units, with Meta and its partnership with EssilorLuxottica fuelling much of that growth.
SPOTLIGHT
According to LinkedIn’s research with over 1,700 B2B tech buyers, video storytelling has emerged as the most trusted, engaging, and effective format for B2B marketers. But what’s driving this shift towards video in B2B? (Image Source: Unsplash)
Read MoreExplained: Standing Committee’s draft report on India’s fight against Fake News
India’s parliamentary panel warns fake news threatens democracy, markets and media credibility, urging stronger regulation, fact-checking, AI oversight and global cooperation.