On Wednesday (September 25), Meta, the company that used to be called Facebook, shared some exciting news about its new virtual reality (VR) headset, smart glasses, and new features in artificial intelligence (AI).
Meta wants to show how its technology is moving beyond regular smartphones and computers to something more advanced.
Mark Zuckerberg Unveils Cheaper VR Headset, AR Glasses
One of the big announcements was about Orion, a special pair of holographic augmented reality (AR) glasses. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said these are "the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen."
These glasses aren't just for fun—they are really smart! You can control them with your brain through a special wristband. The glasses are wireless, lightweight, and designed to look like regular glasses, not like the big, clunky headsets you see for VR.
Right now, Meta hasn't said when Orion will be available to buy. Zuckerberg called them "a glimpse of the future," meaning they're showing us the cool things we might use soon.
He explained that making these glasses was hard because they had to weigh less than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) while including lots of advanced technology. One of the coolest parts is the wrist-based neural interface, which lets you control the glasses by thinking about what you want them to do, said AP News.
Meta also talked about some other products. They're releasing a cheaper version of their popular VR headset, the Quest 3S, for only $299, starting on October 15. This is much cheaper than the Quest 3, which costs $499. Meta is lowering prices to make VR headsets more affordable and to compete with Apple's Vision Pro, which costs $3,500.
Another product Meta talked about was their Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta didn't say how many of the glasses they've sold, but Zuckerberg said they're doing better than expected. He also said they have fixed problems with making enough of the glasses.
These smart glasses aren't just for looking cool—they can help with everyday tasks. For example, they can help you find your car in a parking lot, suggest a smoothie recipe based on the fruit in your fridge, or even help you pick an outfit to wear to a party.
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Meta's New AI Tools
Meta also introduced some new AI features. The company's AI system, called Meta AI, lets people talk to the AI with their voices. It can even sound like famous people such as John Cena, Judi Dench, or Awkwafina.
During the presentation, Zuckerberg showed off Meta AI's new translation feature, which helps people who speak different languages talk to each other. Zuckerberg had a conversation with a Mexican mixed martial artist named Brandon Moreno.
Zuckerberg spoke in English, and Moreno replied in Spanish, but Meta AI translated their conversation right away, making it easy for them to understand each other.
Another cool part of Meta AI is the ability to create AI avatars. These are digital versions of real people who can talk and answer questions. At the event, an AI version of a content creator named Don Allen Stevenson III was on stage, answering questions.
AI version talked like the real person and even made jokes about how it didn't know much about farming when someone asked about cattle ranching. This AI feature used to only work through text, but now it can talk and act like a real person.
Meta also shared some impressive numbers. Their AI system now has 500 million users, which is a huge accomplishment. A technology expert named Jeremy Goldman called it "jaw-dropping," which means it's amazing.
He also said that Meta's decision to use celebrity voices for its AI system is not just for fun—it's a smart way to make Meta's AI stand out from other companies like OpenAI.
Meta is still making most of its money from ads. In the last few months, 98% of its $39 billion in earnings came from advertising.
However, the company is investing a lot of money in AI, VR, and AR technologies because Zuckerberg believes these are the future of computers. While some experts aren't sure that VR headsets will become very popular, they think AR glasses like Orion have a lot of potential because they can be used more easily in everyday life.
According to The Verge, Meta said it will stop making its expensive Quest Pro VR headset, which was first released in 2022. This headset didn't get very good reviews, and it originally cost $1,499.
Meta later lowered the price to $999, but the device still didn't sell very well. Now, Meta plans to sell off the remaining Quest Pro headsets and focus on its newer, more affordable VR headsets like the Quest 3 and Quest 3S.
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