Hands-on with Orion, Meta's first pair of AR glasses

Meta has unveiled its first pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses, named Orion, during a demonstration at its headquarters. Designed to replace smartphones, Orion features a custom display with Micro LED projectors and silicon carbide lenses, providing a 70-degree field of view. The glasses are controlled through a combination of eye tracking, hand gestures via a neural wristband, and voice commands. Although the glasses are not yet available for purchase due to high manufacturing costs—estimated at around $10,000 per unit—Meta has produced a limited number for internal testing and demonstrations. The glasses allow users to overlay digital information onto the real world, facilitating communication and interaction with AI. During the demo, users could engage in activities like identifying ingredients for recipes and playing games with minimal lag. Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, envisions a future where AR glasses can function independently of smartphones, but acknowledges that the technology still requires improvements in affordability, resolution, and design. The company plans to release a more consumer-friendly version, codenamed Hypernova, in the near future, which will feature a smaller display and be more accessible in terms of cost.

- Meta's Orion AR glasses are designed to replace smartphones and feature advanced display technology.

- The glasses are currently not for sale due to high production costs, estimated at $10,000 per unit.

- Orion allows users to overlay digital information and interact with AI through various control methods.

- A consumer-friendly version, Hypernova, is expected to be released soon with improved features.

- Meta aims to create AR glasses that can operate independently of smartphones, enhancing user experience.