Meta's First Display-Enabled Smart Glasses Set to Launch Next Month, Priced at $800 and Up
According to a recent report by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Meta is set to release its first smart glasses with a display in September, with a starting price of $800. Initially, the product was expected to be priced at over $1,000. The price reduction is partly due to Meta's strategy of accepting lower profit margins to stimulate demand, a common approach for new products.
Key Features and Specifications
The smart glasses, reportedly named Hypernova, are equipped with a small monocular head-up display (HUD) and will be controlled by a sEMG (surface electromyography) neural wristband that detects finger gestures. This wristband is expected to be included with the product. The HUD will display time, weather, and notifications, assist with photo composition and previews, provide turn-by-turn navigation, show subtitles and translations for real-world speech, and even display AI responses in text form instead of audio.
Design and Weight
The addition of the HUD increases the weight of the glasses to approximately 70 grams, compared to the 50 grams of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Early firmware on Meta's public servers revealed renderings of Hypernova and its wristband, with one rendering suggesting the product might be named Meta Celeste.
Pricing and Availability
Initially, Gurman had reported that the Hypernova would be priced at over $1,000, with some estimates reaching up to $1,300 to $1,400. However, in his latest weekly newsletter, Gurman revealed that Meta has managed to cut the consumer price to around $800. He explained that this price adjustment is due to Meta's decision to accept lower profit margins to drive demand. However, he also noted that the $800 price is just the starting point, and additional options like prescription lenses will quickly increase the cost.
Upcoming Launch Event
Meta Connect 2025 is scheduled for September 17, where Meta is expected to officially unveil Celeste. Pre-orders are anticipated to begin in October. Reports from earlier this year indicated that Meta employees were working overtime to ensure the timely release of the HUD glasses.
