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Meta Platforms (META.O), the parent company of Facebook, unveiled its first functional prototype of augmented reality glasses, named Orion, at its annual Connect conference on Wednesday. The California-based company outlined its vision for products that merge the virtual world with reality.
As reported by Reuters, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “This is the physical world with holograms overlaid on it,” after dramatically revealing the bulky black glasses from a metal case handed to him on stage.
6 Key Highlights of Meta’s Orion AR glasses
- Orion is a type of face computer that brings fiction to reality, as we have already witnessed with Marvel’s Iron Man. As reports suggested, the Orion comes with the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses, capable of performing several high-level tasks.
- Meta highlights that the glasses are lightweight and versatile in design, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor use and enabling face-to-face connection, even remotely.
- The best part is that these smart glasses genuinely resemble regular glasses in both appearance and feel. They feature fully transparent lenses, unlike MR headsets or other AR glasses, allowing you to see people’s eyes and expressions.
- With Orion, you can make hands-free video calls to catch up with friends and family in real time and stay connected on WhatsApp and Messenger to view and send messages. Meta Orion glasses eliminate the hassle of pulling out your phone, unlocking it, finding the app, and messaging your friend that you’re running late for dinner—you can handle it all directly through your glasses.
5. The Orion system consists of three components: a “neural wristband” for control and a wireless block resembling a large phone battery pack. While the glasses are standalone, they must stay within about 12 feet of the puck for full functionality.
6. Although Meta’s latest innovation, the Orion, looks promising both on paper and in demos, the real challenge lies in integrating it into daily life. Meta plans to release its first commercial AR glasses to consumers by 2027.
Price of Meta’s Orion AR glasses
Meta has launched an entry-level version of its Quest mixed-reality headsets, called the Quest 3S. At Meta Connect 2024, the company announced two storage options: 128GB and 256 GB. The 128GB model will be priced at $299.99 (around Rs 25,000), while the 256GB version will cost $399.99 (around Rs 33,000).
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The Quest 3S is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR 2 Gen 2 chipset, the same processor used in the Meta Quest 3, released last year. This latest Meta MR headset offers double the graphical performance of the Meta Quest 2. It also features fresnel lenses, a slimmer design, two RGB cameras, and an action button to activate pass-through mode, allowing users to view virtual objects in their physical space.
The Quest 3S is set to launch on October 15. With its release, Meta will discontinue the older Quest 2 and high-end Quest Pro devices, while reducing the price of the more powerful Quest 3 from $649.99 to $499.99 (around Rs 42,000).
