Recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company's grand roadmap from AI to XR in an exclusive interview with a well-known YouTuber (@Kallaway), sharing many details and visions.
In the interview, Zuckerberg discusses Meta's experience with Ray-Ban, the future of smartphones, cutting-edge neural interface wristband technology, and the new AR smart glasses that are about to lead the way.
About AR Smart Glasses vs. Ray-Ban Meta Products
Zuckerberg emphasized that the XR industry needs to reach a key milestone – the efficient deployment of "holographic AR" solutions for AR to truly become a core platform for people's daily lives. He further noted that the design concept of Ray-Ban Meta products is to incorporate "the ultimate look of today's smart glasses" while exploring the possibility of incorporating as much advanced technology as possible without sacrificing aesthetics. He is optimistic that rapid advances in AI technology will lead to more simplified products, which in turn will make them more attractive to users.
In response to market feedback on Ray-Ban Meta products, Zuckerberg admitted that the demand far exceeded expectations, and he was both pleased and challenged, especially since some styles were already in short supply. To this end, the company is accelerating the ramp-up of production capacity and optimizing the production line to ensure that more consumers can experience this innovative product.
Zuckerberg also delved into the potential value of smart glasses, even without an AR display, where integrated microphones, speakers, and AI capabilities have shown great potential. He predicts that in the future, there will be "display-less glasses" that rely on AI for content capture, audio reading, music playback, and calling, while providing a streamlined AR visualization to provide users with subtle and useful information cues.
In addition, he envisions a "premium" version of smart glasses that will integrate comprehensive smart features with a full AR display that will bring users an immersive experience like never before.
Can smart glasses replace smartphones?
Given that smart glasses have been able to efficiently present the standard application of smartphones as an AR service, the fastness, seamlessness and immersion of their interactions make one wonder: will smart glasses replace smartphones?
Zuckerberg is cautiously optimistic, arguing that history shows that the rise of new platforms does not immediately lead to the demise of old ones. Just as smartphones have not completely retired from the table, smart glasses may also be an extension of the phone in our pockets, rather than a replacement. He predicts that smart glasses will occupy a more important place in daily life, while mobile phones will play more of a role when there is a specific need.
Neural interface wristbands with future AR glasses
Talking about the neural interface wristband, which will be unveiled at Meta Connect, Zuckerberg revealed how it works uniquely: by capturing body signals and translating them into computer input, rather than directly connecting to the brain.
He explained that this technology allows users to enter information through simple body movements, such as hand movements, greatly improving the naturalness and convenience of interaction. Combined with smart glasses, this technology will open up a range of exciting application scenarios.
In addition, Zuckerberg also revealed that Meta is developing the next generation of AR smart glasses, which will far surpass the performance of Ray-Ban products, which is expected to completely disrupt the concept of traditional glasses. He revealed that the team is close to the stage of showing the prototype of the holographic glasses, but is working hard to create a complete version for consumers, in order to bring users an unprecedented visual feast.