What Display Daily thinks: It is compelling to watch Meta’s CEO wax lyrical about AR, MR, and the Alt Reality future. Even as a die-hard non-believer.
But, you can’t argue with money and there is so much – so much – of it being spent by Meta to realize Alt Reality for mass market consumption. In theory, if Meta’s hype and development match up with an end product that does what they say it will do then, maybe, we have something that could conceivably replace displays in many situations.
In theory.
Take heart from one interesting statistic, ebooks were supposed to replace print and they never did. An awful lot of them get sold, true, and an awful lot of them get pirated, also true. But, print remains king for the reading masses.
Whatever happens with “groundbreaking AR glasses” and near-eye displays, they will never replace the good old monitor, screen, or TV. Ebooks were easy to make and distribute, and despite Zuckerberg’s channeling of infinitely funded Alt Reality projects, nothing has been easy or right so far. Not at scale.
Imagine what would have happened if Meta had channeled $40 billion of investment into transparent, paper thin displays that fold and bend like paper. He could have reinvented the viewing experience in so many ways. This just seems like a continuing grand folly, a sort of Spruce Goose for the digital age.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Teases Groundbreaking AR Glasses Prototype Ahead of Connect 2024 Unveiling
Meta is preparing to unveil its prototype AR glasses, known as ‘Orion,’ at the Connect developer conference in October 2024. According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, these glasses represent a significant advancement in augmented reality technology, aiming to deliver a true AR experience.
The prototype glasses, while not the final consumer version, will showcase the company’s progress in integrating holographic displays, sensors, and other advanced technologies into a wearable form factor that resembles conventional glasses more closely than existing AR headsets. Zuckerberg emphasized that although the prototype may not be stylish, it is unmistakably designed as glasses, not a headset, setting it apart from other devices like HoloLens 2 or Quest 3.
According to Zuckerberg, early testers of the glasses have reportedly had positive reactions, and Meta’s focus remains on refining the technology for a future consumer release rather than selling the prototype widely.
