Big Tech Investments and the Evolution of Augmented Reality: A Glimpse into Our Future as Information Beings
I opted out of attending Meta Connect this year (held on September 25th and 26th) because the in-person attendance required signing an NDA with clauses that essentially muzzled any future discussions about the company, regardless of whether the information was public or not. Paraphrasing, it felt like agreeing to a perpetual gag order, which didn't sit well with me.
However, with the recent announcements, I can finally dive into my thoughts on Meta's position in the AR space, especially in comparison to Snap, Apple, and others.
Meta unveiled Orion, a prototype AR glass that they tout as the "most advanced AR glasses ever made." It's a sleek device—essentially a normal glass frame that projects information onto a screen, merging the digital and physical worlds seamlessly. For more details on Orion's features and Meta's vision for AR, you can check out their official announcement.
Snap, not to be outdone, announced their own version last week: the new Spectacles. Thanks to my friend Vincent, I had the chance to try them out. While Snap has delivered a device directly into developers' hands (albeit leased), Meta has shared an update on their vision for augmented reality, complementing their existing "Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses."
