Next month, the world of social media is set to witness an exciting showdown between two of its biggest rivals, Snap and Meta, as both companies are reportedly preparing to unveil their latest advancements in augmented reality (AR) glasses. These products will highlight what Snap and Meta believe could be the next big thing in computing.
The first of these reveals is expected from Snap’s CEO, Evan Spiegel, as reported by The Verge. On September 17th, at Snap’s annual Partner Summit in Los Angeles, Spiegel is anticipated to showcase the fifth generation of Snap’s Spectacles. Just a week later, on September 25th, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to reveal his company’s first AR glasses, codenamed “Orion,” during the Connect conference in Menlo Park.
Also read: Here’s a closer look at Meta’s upcoming true AR smart glasses
Despite the excitement surrounding these announcements, both companies face the same challenge: AR technology is still not ready for mass adoption. As a result, neither Snap nor Meta plans to sell these new AR glasses to the general public just yet. Instead, Snap will likely follow its 2021 approach by distributing a limited number of the new Spectacles to select developers and partners. According to insiders, fewer than 10,000 units of Snap’s glasses are expected to be produced, while Meta might manufacture even fewer of its Orion glasses.
In my opinion, the cautious approach taken by both Snap and Meta reflects the current state of AR technology. While the potential for AR glasses to revolutionise the way we interact with the digital world is undeniable, the hardware and user experience are still in their infancy. These releases will likely be more about gathering feedback from developers and refining the technology than making a splash in the consumer market. By limiting the distribution, Snap and Meta can ensure that any shortcomings are viewed as part of the development process rather than a failed product launch.
There is no doubt that these releases will likely generate buzz.
Also watch: