Next month, two social media giants, Meta and Snap, will unveil their latest advancements in augmented reality (AR) glasses, marking a significant step towards what they envision as the next major computing platform.

Snap's Spectacles 5

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is set to reveal the fifth generation of Spectacles on September 17th at the annual Partner Summit in Los Angeles. This new model is expected to build on the AR capabilities introduced in previous versions, featuring dual 3D waveguide displays with a 26.3-degree diagonal field of view and up to 2,000 nits of brightness for both indoor and outdoor use². However, Snap will not be selling these glasses to the general public. Instead, they will distribute fewer than 10,000 units to select developers and partners, similar to their strategy in 2021.

Meta's Orion

A week later, on September 25th, Mark Zuckerberg will debut Meta’s first AR glasses, codenamed Orion, at the Connect conference in Menlo Park. Orion is rumored to be the most advanced AR glasses ever produced, potentially featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 or Gen 2 chip, and an EMG wristband for controlling the glasses using electromyography. Like Snap, Meta will not be releasing these glasses to consumers immediately. Instead, they will be available to a select audience, including developers and media members.

The Challenge

Both companies face the same challenge: the technology for AR glasses is not yet ready for mainstream adoption. Despite significant advancements, there are still hurdles related to battery life, display quality, and cost. As a result, both Snap and Meta are focusing on refining their technology and gathering feedback from developers before making these devices widely available.

Conclusion

The upcoming reveals from Snap and Meta highlight the ongoing race to develop the next major computing platform. While mainstream adoption may still be a few years away, these demonstrations will provide a glimpse into the future of AR technology and its potential impact on our daily lives.