Meta CTO and President of Reality Labs Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth says the company is currently working on a “glasses form factor” mixed reality headset.
Bosworth confirmed in a Q&A on Instagram that the company is working on the device, but didn't give an exact timeline:
“I don't think mixed reality headsets, even in the glasses form factor, will disrupt smartphones. But I think augmented reality will do that at some point, and we're working on that. But I can't tell you the timelines.”
Two weeks ago, in a report Information According to two Meta employees, the company is currently considering a mixed reality device codenamed 'Puffin' that resembles a “clunky pair of glasses” and is expected to be released as early as 2027.
The Puffin allegedly features crepe lenses and an “External Processing Disk and Battery” that will take weight off the user's head.
Bosworth also highlighted during the Q&A session that a “groundbreaking” AR announcement will be made during Connect 2024, which is expected to start on September 25.
“I think the AR announcement is going to be very groundbreaking. We've already hinted at it a little bit but I think once people start experiencing it, I think it's going to really turn some heads,” Bosworth said.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed in an interview with YouTuber Kane 'Kallaway' Sutter in July that the company would soon unveil a pair of prototype AR glasses, which means Connect is about to be announced.
“Glasses, I think, are going to be a big deal,” Zuckerberg said. “We're almost ready to show a prototype version of the full holographic glasses. We're not going to sell that widely; we're focusing on producing the full consumer version rather than selling the prototype.”
We'll also be eagerly awaiting more information on the company's nearly confirmed Quest 3S, which is likely to be its next affordable headset, and a fleet of third-party Quest-like headsets running HorizonOS from partners ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox are also still in the works.