Meta’s annual Connect conference is just around the corner, and if you’re interested in new hardware, you’re in luck.
While much of the conference will likely focus on the company’s AI efforts, at least two devices are expected to make their debut: a new Quest headset and new smart glasses.
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First off, if you’re not sure if you want to try out the Meta Quest 3 and the current $25/month offer isn’t enough for you, there’s good news: a cheaper, stripped-down version of the Quest 3 is apparently on the way.
We don’t know exactly what the difference will be between the Quest 3 and the new headset (rumored to be called 3S) as Meta has been very tight-lipped and there have been no leaks either, but we can make some guesses as to what it will be habit Be.
Given that the full color passthrough feature is one of the Quest 3’s biggest advances over the Quest 2, it would be odd if Meta took a step back here. Also, it probably won’t be a smaller storage version, as the 128GB size is already not enough for some people.
Mark Gurman says the 3S will likely cost between $300 and $400, which is at least $100 less than the price of the Quest 3, which costs $500. Meta’s biggest advantage over Apple’s Vision Pro so far is the price difference, and this new device only widens that gap.
Meta’s other big hardware announcement, Gurman said, will be a preview of the augmented reality (AR) smart glasses that are in development. Glasses aren’t new territory for Meta, as the company is already working with Ray-Ban to make smart glasses, but these aren’t AR.
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Since the introduction of AR requires a camera, more processing power and perhaps a display, developing lightweight AR glasses that can be worn all day is no easy task, Gurman points out. He adds that Meta seems to have the edge, as Apple has struggled with this.
The plan for this year’s Connect conference seems to be for Meta to demonstrate new AI software behind the current Ray-Bans, introduce a few new color options and styles for the Ray-Bans, and show off a prototype of what will become AR glasses.
Meta Connect 2024 will take place from 25 to 26 September.
