Meta is apparently hard at work developing a new iteration of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, featuring a display designed for viewing photos and accessing apps. Insight from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that this device could make its debut later this year, arriving alongside a wrist-worn XR controller that’s geared for gesture input.
Previously reported by Bloomberg in January, the smart glasses are said to go by the codename ‘Hypernova’. While there isn’t an official price tag yet, it’s believed they might retail between $1,000 and $1,400—a noteworthy increase from the $300 price of Meta’s existing Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, which lack any display capabilities. The anticipated price hike is largely attributed to the inclusion of a single display visible in the lower-right corner of the right lens.
Though these glasses won’t serve as augmented reality devices that can place digital images directly into your line of sight like some cutting-edge AR glasses, they do share similarities with Google Glass. For a deeper dive into what distinguishes smart glasses from AR glasses, check out our comprehensive explainer.
Gurman’s latest update claims ‘Hypernova’ will have apps dedicated to snapping photos, browsing pictures, and navigating maps. Expect it to handle notifications from familiar apps like Messenger and WhatsApp too.
Rumor has it that the glasses will depend heavily on the Meta View phone app, hinting they might not host their own app store. This suggests Hypernova could operate more as a smartphone accessory rather than a self-contained platform.
Interestingly, these new glasses are said to carry over several features from the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. This includes the ability to capture photos and videos, facilitate AI interactions through built-in microphones, and connect to a phone for calls and music.
There’s a buzz that Hypernova will feature a major camera upgrade as well. While the previous Meta Ray-Ban boasted a 12-megapixel camera, comparable to an iPhone 11 from 2019, the Hypernova aims to challenge the quality seen in the iPhone 13 from 2021.
Much like the display-less Ray-Ban glasses, users can control Hypernova with capacitive touch controls on the temples, letting you effortlessly scroll through your media.
On another front, Meta appears ready to commercialize its wrist-worn XR controller. This innovative controller uses electromyography (EMG) sensors to detect gestures like pinching and rotating your hand to make selections in a user interface. It’s expected that Hypernova will come packaged with this wrist-worn controller, which has also been demonstrated with Meta’s internal Orion AR glasses.
Looking ahead, a second-generation ‘Hypernova 2’ is reportedly in the planning stages. Said to feature a binocular heads-up display system (again in the realm of smart glasses rather than AR), insiders suggest it might launch by 2027.
However, given Meta’s history of shelving products in the late stages of development, such as a rumored camera-less variant aimed at reducing costs and enhancing privacy, plans could shift. That said, Hypernova might not be Meta’s next smart glasses offering. The buzz is that Meta is wrapping up work on ‘Supernova 2’, a set of glasses with functionality similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses but fitted in a sportier Oakley design.
All these innovations pave the way for Meta’s foray into true AR glasses. The company unveiled its developer kit, named Orion, in late 2024. According to Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO and chief of Reality Labs, a consumer AR device inspired by Orion may be on the horizon before 2030, possibly priced alongside current phone and laptop benchmarks.
