Meta's upcoming futuristic 'augmented reality' glasses will set you back around $1,000 when they potentially release later this year, but what you see through the lenses themselves might make that hefty up front cost worth it for many.
Meta have long been interested in the world of virtual reality, as their purchase of VR giant Oculus in 2014 for around $2 billion was just the beginning of their efforts to dominate the space.
Mark Zuckerberg remains happy to continue losing $60 billion on the project in pursuit of advancements in the tech, and while the Metaverse is now a distant and disappointing memory, a new project might just provide the key to success.
Occupying the 'AR' space where you can see both the world around you and an augmented screen, Meta's 'Hypernova' glasses could break new ground when it comes to wearable tech, as reported by Bloomberg.
Advert
Building on the success that Meta has already seen with the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses priced at $299, the luxury upgrade gives consumers an specced-up alternative that has its own unique game-changing feature.
Current prototypes indicate that the $1,000 smart glasses, otherwise known as the 'Hypernova', will include a small monocular panel located in the lower-right quadrant of the right-hand lens, giving you the ability to view content, use apps, and take pictures all through the device itself.
As mentioned, in its current state you'll only be able to see the screen through one of the glasses' lenses but there are reportedly plans for a follow up model that would use a binocular display system to allow the screen to be viewed with both eyes.
Advert
At the moment though you'll be able to browse through a number of apps, which include camera options, a photo gallery, and messaging apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp.
Everything will be controlled through a capacitive touch system on the Hypernova's temples, where you'll be able to scroll through content with swiping movements and interact with the press of a finger.
Much like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, you'll also be able to use the built-in microphone to interact with Meta's AI technology, which you can use for anything that you would use an advanced artificial intelligence assistant for.
Advert
There are even plans for a 'neural wristband' which would allow users to take advantage of gestures for even greater control. This would save you having to reach all the way up to the side of the glasses, and would overall provide a more immersive experience when using the Hypernova.
While smart glasses and similar wearables have been floating around for over a decade ago - with Google Glass being one of the most notable early examples - the success of Meta's outputs so far might indicate that the Hypernova could be the first to really break into the mainstream.