Meta and Snap are about to show off their new AR glasses
Meta and Snap will reveal new AR glasses next month but won't sell them, focusing on developers and partners.
Meta and Snap, two rivals in social media, are about to showcase their new AR glasses in September. Snap's CEO Evan Spiegel will unveil the fifth generation of Spectacles on September 17th at the Partner Summit in Los Angeles, while Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg will debut Meta's first AR glasses, codenamed Orion, on September 25th at the Connect conference in Menlo Park.
The companies have adopted different approaches to developing their AR glasses but face a common challenge: the technology is not yet suitable for the mainstream market. Consequently, neither company plans to sell the glasses being showcased next month, as confirmed by insiders.
Instead of selling, Snap plans to distribute the upgraded Spectacles model to select developers and partners, similar to their strategy in 2021. They are producing fewer than 10,000 units, and Meta will manufacture even fewer Orion glasses. Both companies aim to refine their respective technologies through these limited releases.