Zuckerberg unveils the future of smart devices through new glasses

As part of its ambitious strategy to move into the post-smartphone era, Meta has announced the release of smart glasses equipped with an internal display and advanced AI technologies, during its annual Meta Connect conference held this week in Menlo Park, California.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared at the opening of the event wearing the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which feature a small screen embedded in the right lens to display messages, photos, and videos. The glasses also include a camera that can be controlled either by voice commands or subtle gestures via a smart wristband.

During the presentation, Zuckerberg emphasized that the goal is “to design stylish glasses that provide advanced intelligence and an immersive sense of reality through 3D content,” adding that this innovation is part of his long-term vision to build a metaverse blending real and virtual worlds.

Despite these ambitions, Meta’s Reality Labs division faces major financial challenges. It reported losses of about $4.5 billion in the last quarter, compared to revenues of only $370 million. This division is responsible for developing the hardware and software for virtual and augmented reality.

Analysts believe that while smart glasses may not deliver quick returns, they represent Meta’s attempt to gradually break away from the smartphone market, currently dominated by Apple and Google. Leo Gebbie, an analyst at CCS Insight, stated that this move appears to be “a long-term bet on the future of wearable devices and full control over the technological infrastructure of the metaverse.”

Since rebranding from Facebook to Meta in 2021, the company has continued investing billions of dollars annually into immersive technology development, despite growing pressure from investors concerned about low revenues and limited near-term adoption of these technologies.