At Meta Connect 2024, Meta Platforms Inc. introduced several cutting-edge innovations in mixed reality and artificial intelligence (AI), including the Quest 3S headset, AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses, and updated AI models.
The announcements underscore Meta’s ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersive experiences and AI-driven technology.
The newly unveiled Quest 3S headset offers an affordable upgrade for mixed reality enthusiasts, priced at $299.99. While retaining key features from the Meta Quest 3, such as hand-tracking and touch controllers, the Quest 3S delivers improved resolution at 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye.
It offers 2.5 hours of battery life and comes with 128GB and 256GB storage options. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg touted the device as part of the “best family of mixed reality devices out there.”
Zuckerberg also revealed that Meta is working closely with Microsoft to bring Windows 11 integration to mixed reality, allowing users to pair Windows PCs with Quest headsets for a seamless computing experience.
Meta’s AI-enabled Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses received notable upgrades, including the ability to remember tasks, handle voice commands, and perform real-time language translation. These features, along with the ability to record and send voice messages using WhatsApp or Messenger, elevate the glasses as a smart companion for everyday activities.
Additionally, Meta announced enhancements to Meta AI, its generative AI assistant. Users can now interact with the assistant across platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram DM using voice commands.
The AI can also interpret images shared in chats, offering explanations and even generating step-by-step instructions based on photos.
Meta also launched its latest AI large language model, Llama 3.2, with multimodal capabilities. Designed for advanced performance, it features 11 billion and 90 billion parameter variants, capable of extracting details from images and generating text-based narratives.
Two smaller models, with 1 billion and 3 billion parameters, were also introduced for use on mobile and edge devices.
Furthermore, Meta unveiled Orion, a prototype of its long-awaited augmented reality (AR) glasses. Unlike mixed reality devices, Orion glasses allow users to see through transparent lenses while projecting holograms onto their field of view.
Zuckerberg highlighted the challenges of miniaturizing the technology and confirmed the device’s development as a future consumer product.
