The Biggest Announcements From Meta Connect 2024: Prototype AR Glasses, Quest 3S And AI

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a range of new products and features at the company's annual Connect event on Wednesday, highlighting the tech giant's focus on mixed reality and artificial intelligence. The announcements included VR headsets, AR glasses and AI capabilities, all aimed at advancing how users interact with technology.

Orion: Prototype AR Glasses

Perhaps the most exciting announcement was for a product with a release date that remains a mystery. In a noteworthy reveal, Zuckerberg presented a prototype of Meta's first augmented reality glasses, codenamed Orion. These AR glasses represent significant research and development efforts, with echoes of Google’s scrapped Glass project from 2015.

Orion works by overlaying virtual information over a user’s view by using light diffraction to create holographic projections in their field of view. Zuckerberg stated that the display is different from anything else consumers have used, in the sense that it’s not actually a screen. Instead, it’s a different type of display technology that uses small projectors in the arms of the glasses, which emit light into nanoscale 3D structures etched into the lenses.

While Meta has not announced a release date for Orion, the prototype demonstrates the company's ongoing investment in AR technology, with unique technology that has the potential to make it stand out from similar offerings from the likes of the Immersed Visor, and even Apple’s much bulkier Vision Pro headset. These glasses could potentially change how users interact with digital information in everyday scenarios, from navigation to real-time translation and entertainment, and with a large play like Meta joining the fray, there could be an increased chance for higher rates of adoption for such technology further down the line.

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Quest 3S: A More Affordable Mixed Reality Option

Another key announcement was the Meta Quest 3S, a more affordable version of last year's Quest 3 headset. Priced at $299, the Quest 3S aims to make mixed reality experiences accessible to a broader audience, and its RRP is a stark contrast to the $3,499 asking price of Apple's Vision Pro.

While it may not include all the features of its higher-priced Quest 3 or Apple counterpart, the Quest 3S retains the core mixed reality capabilities of the Quest 3, allowing users to integrate virtual elements with their physical surroundings. The headset also features spatial audio by Dolby Atmos and can function as a remote desktop for Windows 11 PCs, leveraging Meta's partnership with Microsoft.

AI Developments

Meta also used Connect as an opportunity to share its AI advancements, introducing various new features across its platforms. A significant announcement was Llama 3.2, Meta's latest AI model capable of processing both images and text — a first for the company's open-source offerings.

This multimodal approach expands possibilities for developers, potentially enabling more advanced AI applications. Examples include augmented reality apps with real-time video understanding, visual search engines and document analysis tools. In addition, Meta introduced voice capabilities for its AI assistant, including celebrity voice options such as John Cena, Dame Judi Dench and Kristen Bell.

Other AI-powered features include real-time language translation through Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses and automatic video dubbing for content on Instagram and Facebook. These tools could be particularly useful for content creators and marketers aiming to reach global audiences — although the EU AI Act means that these AI features won’t be available to European users for the time being.

Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: New Features

Meta announced updates to its smart glasses line-up, developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban. The latest version includes improved AI integration, designed to facilitate more natural interactions with Meta's virtual assistant and enhance object recognition capabilities.

New features include video AI, real-time translation and expanded content partnerships with services like Spotify, Amazon Music and Audible. These additions clearly aim to strengthen the position of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the wearable tech market.

Looking Ahead

Overall, Meta's continued investment in mixed reality and AI technologies indicates the company's view of these areas as foundational to future computing platforms. By introducing more affordable hardware like the Quest 3S and developing prototypes like Orion, Meta is working toward a future where digital and physical realities are increasingly integrated.

Challenges remain, including user adoption rates, privacy concerns and regulatory considerations. However, Meta's announcements at Connect 2024 demonstrate its commitment to shaping human-computer interaction, which is an area that founder Mark Zuckerberg is clearly betting big on.