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Meta's first AR glasses are a costly endeavor

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Summary

Meta is expected to launch its first AR glasses, codenamed Orion, to the public in 2024. The company plans to produce around 1,000 units and use them solely for internal development and demonstration purposes. The second generation of the glasses, codenamed Artemis, is scheduled to launch in 2027 and will use cheaper technology and lenses than Orion. The third generation, codenamed Odyssey, will also use glass for its lenses. Orion will be made in the U.S. due to restrictions on the export of the silicon carbide needed for the lenses. The development and production of the AR glasses is an expensive and risky venture for Meta, and the lack of their own AR chips and AR operating system could hurt their competitiveness in the long run.

Q&As

What are Meta's first AR glasses called?
Meta's first AR glasses are codenamed Orion.

What technologies are used for the display and lenses of the first generation of AR glasses?
For the display, Meta will reportedly use cheaper LCoS technology instead of Plessey's MicroLEDs, and the lenses will use glass instead of silicon carbide.

Where will the Meta AR glasses be produced?
The Meta AR glasses will be produced in the U.S. at a former Hewlett-Packard printer factory near the Oregon-Washington State border.

How much is Meta investing in the development of their AR product?
Meta is investing well over $10 billion a year in the development of the Metaverse.

What other technological building blocks are necessary for Meta's AR plans to be successful in the long run?
Meta needs to develop its own AR chips and AR operating system in order for their AR plans to be successful in the long run.

AI Comments

👍 It's impressive that Meta is investing so much money into the development of the Metaverse and their AR glasses. Their commitment to producing high-tech lenses domestically is admirable and could lead to great success in the future.

👎 Meta's plans for AR glasses could prove to be very risky, as it is unclear whether people will want to use them on a daily basis. Furthermore, their lack of their own AR chips and AR operating system could put them at a disadvantage compared to other companies.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about Meta's first AR glasses, which are set to be released in 2024. The article goes into detail about why the glasses are so expensive to produce and the risks Meta is taking in developing these glasses.

Friend: That's really interesting. What are some of the implications of this article?

Me: Well, the article suggests that producing high-tech lenses and their domestic production is a big part of the high cost, and that Meta is investing a lot of money into developing an AR product that hasn't even been released yet. It also suggests that developing its own AR chips and AR operating system are important technological building blocks, which could hurt Meta's competitiveness in the long run. So it looks like it's a risky venture for Meta, and it could be a while before they see any profitability.

Action items

Research the current market for AR glasses and the potential for consumer demand.
Research the technological building blocks necessary for the development of AR glasses and the associated operating system.
Investigate the potential for domestic production of silicon carbide and other materials necessary for the production of AR glasses.

Technical terms

AR Hardware: Augmented Reality hardware, which is a type of technology that overlays digital information onto the physical world.
LCoS Technology: Liquid Crystal on Silicon technology, which is a type of display technology used in projectors and other devices.
Plessey's MicroLEDs: MicroLEDs are a type of light-emitting diode (LED) that are smaller than traditional LEDs and can be used to create displays. Plessey is a company that manufactures MicroLEDs.
Silicon Carbide: A synthetic chemical compound that is used in space telescopes, electric vehicles, and radars and sensors of the US military.
Metaverse: A virtual world created by Meta, a company that is developing augmented reality (AR) glasses.
AR Chips: A type of chip used in augmented reality (AR) devices.
AR Operating System: An operating system specifically designed for augmented reality (AR) devices.
Technological Building Blocks: The components or elements that are used to build a technology system.