Meta's Hypernova: High-End Smart Glasses with Built-in Display and AI Features

Here's more of what you'll see through Meta's $1,000 smart glasses

Umar Shakir is a news writer fond of the electric vehicle lifestyle and things that plug in via USB-C. He spent over 15 years in IT support before joining The Verge. Meta is reportedly preparing a higher-end version of its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with a built-in screen to launch as early as by the end of the year, Bloomberg reports. The new glasses, codenamed Hypernova, can run apps and display photos, all controlled using hand gestures and capacitive touch on the sides of the frame. Bloomberg reports that the screen will only be visible on the right lens at the lower-right quadrant, and is best viewed when looking downward. When the device is turned on, a home screen appears and displays icons horizontally, similar to a Meta Quest. Hypernova will also feature an improved camera compared to the current model, and will continue building upon the idea of having an AI chatbot on your face, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg says that Hypernova will cost over $1,000 and could sell for as high as $1,300 to $1,400. For comparison, the current Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses start at $299. Meta is reserving advanced augmented reality technology for its still-in-development Orion glasses. In contrast, the Hypernova will target the "mid-tier" smart glasses shown off in droves at CES, such as the Rokid Glasses that display green text. However, the Hypernova will command a higher price tag than other options, likely since it will come with the Orion's "neural" wristband controller, codenamed Ceres. Meta is also working on a next version of Hypernova, with the codename Hypernova 2, that will have two screens, Bloomberg reports. The company is apparently planning to launch Hypernova 2 in 2027.

Latest Meta AR smart glasses leak has killed my interest before they're even official

They'll reportedly boast a single display, and be controlled by a 'neural wristband' New leaked details of Meta's upcoming AI smart glasses have emerged that both support existing rumors and provide a few fresh tidbits - including an eye-wateringly high price that's already starting to kill my enthusiasm. Bloomberg has shared reports from unnamed insiders that the device, codenamed Hypernova, is expected to launch later this year and will feature a monocular design, as in it will use only one display rather than a pair of screens - two details we've already heard. This single panel would sit in the lower-right corner of the right lens, so it should allow you conveniently see information by looking down without obscuring your vision greatly. The leak also suggests that the specs will boast many of the same functionality as the current Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, including the ability to snap photos and videos, and get WhatsApp notifications. On top of that they'll also apparently offer new features like a dedicated maps app, so you can get navigation right in your vision. To navigate apps Meta is said to be relying on touch controls built into the frame (just like we've seen with its existing smart glasses) as well as a 'neural wristband' which can detect hand gestures - with this band believed to be packaged in the box with the Hypernova glasses. However the kicker is these smart specs likely won't come cheap. We're talking over $1,000, with insiders predicting something in the $1,300-$1,400 range (which would be around £1,000-£1,100 or AU$2,050-AU$2,200). I was expecting a price increase over the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses for sure. A starting price of $299 / £299 / AU$449 would certainly be too low, so I wouldn't be surprised to see these glasses land at around $800. That would be high, but not astronomical in the realm of early adopter tech. But at over $1,000 and perhaps approaching $1,500, these glasses would be demanding a price that demands excellence - and based on these leaks they don't deliver that. I'm sure they'll be impressive - Meta's existing smart glasses are one of my favorite gadgets, and AR tech truly feels like the future - but unless Meta has plenty of software tricks up its sleeves, and massive hardware upgrades beyond the screen, these new specs don't seem to be a tantalizing enough proposition. Sure, they might boast a few new tools like AR navigation, but these tools aren't $1,000 more useful than the specs I have at home. Interestingly, the same Bloomberg report adds that work has already begun on a second-gen version - Hypernova 2 - which will rely on a binocular (two-display) design, with that being planned for 2027. However, it's unclear if this design would be part of this new smart glasses line, or if it would be the full-on AR glasses a leaked Meta roadmap teased back in 2023 - and which Meta has been promising since announcing its Meta Orion AR glasses prototype. This model, with two screens, and with app developers having longer to cook up innovative tech, could find success even at a high cost, but I'm skeptical that Hypernova will prove as phenomenally popular as Meta and Ray-Ban's other smart glasses have. As with all rumors we should take these latest details with a pinch of salt. Meta's pricing strategy could change, it could be planning several apps the leakers aren't aware of yet, or it could even cancel the smart specs altogether. I'm hoping Meta can rejig its plans at least a little. After experiencing the fifth-gen Snap Spectacles recently I'm completely sold on the AR future, but these plans don't sound like the glasses I'm looking for.