A new report from CNBC claims Facebook is teaming up with Ray-Ban parent brand Luxottica for its AR glasses that are internally codenamed Orion. Unlike augmented reality glasses that are currently available, Facebook’s smart AR glasses are apparently designed to replace smartphones.
As per the report, Facebook’s smart AR glasses will lets users receive phone calls, show information in a small display, and live-stream their vantage point to friends and followers on social media. Users will be able to input information with the help of a ring device featuring a motion sensor as well as an AI voice assistant that Facebook is currently working on.
The glasses are also said to have a secret camera that allows users to record or live stream what they’re seeing on social media. Orion’s team is based at the Facebook Reality Labs in Redmond, Washington, sources said. The project has been delayed several times, but Facebook is hoping a partnership with Luxottica – which makes Ray Bans – will speed things along. The firm aims to get the glasses to market sometime between 2023 and 2025, CNBC reported.
Despite months of rumours, Facebook has yet to officially announce it’s working on any smart glasses. The tech titan declined to comment. The smart sunnies echo Google Glass, a nightmare wearable project that ended in failure for Google. The £1,000 glasses, which revolved around a small screen that sat in the corner of a wearer’s field of vision, enabled them to read messages, take photos and make video calls.
The smart AR glasses are expected to become available between 2023 and 2025. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is said to have a strong interest in the AR glasses and has asked the company’s hardware chief Andrew Bosworth to prioritize them. Despite that, some believe that there is no guarantee that the glasses can be completed on time or ever ship.
However, if a report from The Information is to be believed, Luxottica is working with Facebook for a pair of smart glasses codenamed Stella and not “Orion”. The Stella glasses will be similar to Snap Spectacles, allowing users to record to capture their surroundings with the help of built-in cameras. They are expected to begin shipping “within the next couple of years” and will help test whether people would be comfortable wearing a Facebook branded product on their faces.
