- Meta would work on several smart glasses
- Includes smart Oakley specs like its Ray-Bans and glasses with screen
- Artemis, the consumer versions of Orion, are planned for 2027
We already knew that Meta was working on improvements to its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in the form of the Meta Orion AR prototype glasses, with leaks also indicating that a screen-equipped version of its Ray-Ban specs would be arriving this year , but she reportedly has a few other tricks up her sleeve, including Oakley-branded smart glasses designed for athletes and headphones with built-in cameras.
That’s according to details shared by Bloomberg (article behind a paywall), which are attributed to people familiar with the projects who were asked not to be identified.
Starting with the “Hypernova” project – the name given to Ray-Ban glasses with a display – Bloomberg’s report confirms details we’ve heard previously that such smart glasses would arrive this year, with the first teaser coming via a leak internal. The meta roadmap The Verge shared is 2023, although we heard more recently that a 2025 launch was planned.
We might now find out a little more about Hypernova, with Bloomberg’s leak revealing that the screen will feature at the bottom of the right lens and will be able to show apps, notifications and previews of images you’ve taken with the glasses – which seems much closer to Orion’s capabilities than some (including us) expected. Hypernova won’t come cheap, however, with some suggesting it could cost around $1,000 (£800 / AU$1,600), or three times more expensive than the cheapest Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.
The leaks also tease “Artemis,” which is expected to release in 2027 and will be the commercially available version of Orion. Artemis prototypes are already said to be more advanced and lighter than Orion, although weight, cost of the device, and large-scale manufacturing are apparently challenges that Meta must still overcome before settling on a version Artemis finale.
Are Oakley Smart Specs Coming?
If Ray-Bans aren’t your style, Meta is also reportedly partnering with Oakley (which shares a parent company with Ray-Ban) to create glasses labeled “Supernova 2,” which would be based on Oakley’s Sphaera glasses. The specs of the glasses would reportedly be similar to Ray-Ban’s current model (i.e. one camera, no screen), but would move the camera to the center of the glasses frame and include features intended to appeal to cyclists and athletes.
Exactly what this means beyond frame shape remains to be seen, but as I’ve already pointed out, it’s important that wearables are not only useful, but also beautiful and come in many varieties of styles, because fashion is an extension of who we are. so that the typical gadgets – so I won’t complain if Supernova ends up being actually new styles of the pre-existing specs, on the contrary, I’m all for it.
Finally, we have a few more strange elements. We’ve already heard about Meta’s Camerasbuds, which add cameras to more typical-looking earbuds – and apparently Samsung has similar plans – although they’re probably still some time away.
There’s also talk of a Meta smartwatch (which long-time readers will know would be canceled/not canceled every few months). Codenamed “Ceres,” this latest iteration is less of a watch and more of a bracelet for controlling Meta’s smart glasses. We’ve already seen a version of Ceres used to control the Meta Orion smart glasses, and according to the leak that Meta is evaluating, including the bracelet with Hypernova – the alternative would rely solely on touch controls on the glasses’ frames (like we saw this with the current model of Ray-Ban smart glasses).
While all of these new details about Hypernova, Artemis, Supernova 2, and Ceres are consistent with previous leaks and official details, it’s still worth taking them with a grain of salt. Until Meta publicizes its plans in a proper framework, they could always change – especially projects like Artemis, which would still be in the prototype stage. To find out what Meta really has up his sleeve.
