Meta's AR Glasses: The Future on Your Face

by Atom Bomb Body 22 mai 2025

Remember when smartphones were the next big thing? We're standing at a similar threshold with augmented reality glasses, and Meta is going all-in. The company formerly known as Facebook has been quietly working on AR technology that might actually change how we interact with the digital world. Not the clunky headsets we've seen before, but something approaching the sci-fi glasses we've been promised for decades.

I've spent the last week digging through reports, previews, and Meta's own announcements to figure out what's really coming. Here's everything we know—and what we can reasonably guess—about Meta's ambitious AR glasses projects.

Orion: Meta's True AR Moonshot

Meta unveiled Orion at Meta Connect 2024, positioning it as their first "true" AR glasses. The difference between these and previous smart glasses (like Ray-Ban Meta) is massive—Orion actually overlays digital content onto your field of vision, rather than just being glasses with cameras and speakers.

The tech specs are genuinely impressive:

A whopping 70-degree field of view, which crushes most competitors (Snap's Spectacles only manage 46 degrees)
Silicon-carbide lenses paired with micro LED projectors
Resolution at 13 pixels per degree, with prototypes pushing to 26 pixels
Wireless processing puck that handles the heavy computational lifting

What makes Orion particularly fascinating is the neural wristband input system. Instead of awkwardly tapping the side of your glasses or talking to yourself in public, the wristband reads electrical signals from your wrist to interpret finger movements and gestures. It's like minority report, but slightly less dramatic.

The glasses themselves aren't exactly fashion-forward yet. Early hands-on reports describe them as having "thick, arty frames" with auto-dimming lenses. Not quite as discreet as normal glasses, but a far cry from the helmet-like AR headsets of yesterday.

What's the catch? Orion is currently only in developers' hands. The consumer version (codenamed Artemis) might not arrive until 2027. I suspect Meta is taking the slow approach after the mixed reception of their VR efforts. Getting AR right matters more than getting it fast.

Hypernova: The Stepping Stone We'll Actually Get

While Orion develops in the background, Meta is planning a more immediate release: Hypernova smart glasses. These aren't full AR glasses but offer something between current smart glasses and true AR.

The key feature is a monocular display in the lower-right corner of the right lens. This small screen will show notifications, app content, and basic AR information without taking over your entire field of vision.

Based on leaked information, Hypernova will:

Cost north of $1,000 (possibly as high as $1,400)
Launch potentially by late 2025
Include the same neural wristband as Orion (codenamed Ceres)
Run a custom Android version
Rely on a companion phone app for extended features

The second-generation Hypernova (slated for 2027) will reportedly upgrade to binocular displays for both eyes, bringing it closer to the Orion experience.

I'm guessing these will be positioned as executive tech—expensive enough to be exclusive, but practical enough to justify for professionals who can expense them.

The AI Factor

It wouldn't be a 2025 product without AI integration, right? Meta's approach here is genuinely interesting. Rather than just slapping ChatGPT onto glasses, they're developing contextual AI that understands what you're looking at and what you might need.

The glasses—both Orion and potentially future Ray-Ban Meta models—will feature always-on AI with advanced sensing capabilities. The system could recognize faces, objects, and even remind you about forgotten items (like your keys).

Of course, this raises some obvious privacy questions. Glasses that are always watching, always listening, and always analyzing? Meta will need to address these concerns head-on, especially given their track record with user data.

Battery life remains a challenge too. Running advanced AI on a device the size of glasses requires serious power optimization. I suspect the wireless puck approach used with Orion will become the standard solution—keep the glasses light, offload the heavy processing to something in your pocket.

How This Compares to the Competition

AR glasses are becoming a crowded field. Apple's Vision Pro offers mixed reality but in a much bulkier, more expensive package. Google, after the infamous Glass experiment, is moving more cautiously. Snap continues iterating on Spectacles as developer hardware.

Meta's approach stands out in a few ways:

Where Meta Shines

Field of view (70 degrees is legitimately impressive)
Neural input method (potentially more intuitive than voice or touch)
Processing strategy (offloading to a separate puck)

Where Questions Remain

Price (especially for Orion/Artemis)
Social acceptance (will the design be something people actually want to wear?)
App ecosystem (will developers create compelling AR experiences?)

Are We Ready?

I'm cautiously optimistic about Meta's glasses, but the technology finally seems to be catching up to the vision. The 70-degree field of view addresses one of AR's biggest limitations, and the neural wristband could solve the awkward input problem.

But I wonder if we're culturally ready for AR glasses. The privacy implications are significant. The social norms around wearing cameras on our faces are still developing. And the use cases need to go beyond novelty to justify the cost and adjustment.

I suspect Hypernova will find a niche audience of tech enthusiasts and specific professional use cases. Orion/Artemis, if executed well, has the potential to be more revolutionary—but only if Meta can convince us that AR glasses solve problems we actually have.

Would I buy them? Probably not the first generation. But I'm watching closely, because if history has taught us anything about technology, it's that what seems unnecessary today can become indispensable tomorrow.

What do you think? Are AR glasses the future of computing or another tech fad?

This article was written based on information available as of May 2025. Product details may change before final release.