Silicon Valley tests revival of Google Glass-style glasses – 01/01/2024 – Tech

Silicon Valley’s search for a consumer device to succeed the smartphone has revived an idea that failed nearly a decade ago: Google Glass-style glasses.

The difference this time is that the new wave of smart glasses, led by Meta’s Ray-Bans, are infused with artificial intelligence. Developers and device makers hope that constant, easy access to ChatGPT-style assistants will win over consumers in a way that Glass hasn’t.

Much of the buzz around tech glasses in recent months has focused on Apple’s upcoming release, the Vision Pro, a large and expensive mixed reality device that can display realistic 3D holograms.

But some of the biggest glasses enthusiasts are now supporting the concept of simpler glasses that rely more on voice than images.

“We see incredible potential [para óculos inteligentes]especially when you use audio and large language models [LLMs, na sigla em inglês] as an interface,” said Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, the wearable chipmaker whose processors power Meta’s Ray-Bans as well as its Quest virtual reality glasses.

However, Silicon Valley’s long-held aspiration for consumers to wear cameras on their faces and talk to virtual assistants through their glasses has not come to fruition.

Google launched Glass, futuristic smart glasses with a camera that could be controlled by voice commands, in 2012.

The company abandoned the consumer product in early 2015 after users of the $1,500 headset were dubbed “glassholes” for bringing cameras into unwanted situations and, in some cases, being physically attacked.

That didn’t stop companies like Magic Leap, Amazon, and Snap from releasing smart glasses in the following years, but none of them found mass-market success.

The first version of Meta’s Ray-Bans, which had tiny cameras and speakers built into their frames, were released in 2021.

According to a Wall Street Journal report this summer, only 300,000 units were sold, which suggests it is still a niche product. Meta did not confirm the number.

But a successor version introduced in September has improved AI capabilities. The company is testing the ability to ask your assistant questions and recognize objects seen by its cameras, with the aim of making the features more widely available in 2024.

“I think it surprised a lot of people in terms of how this [novo Ray-Bans da Meta] has been received,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic, the company that popularized smartphone-based augmented reality with the game “Pokémon Go.” “I think this version is the right device at the right time.”

Meta did not disclose sales of the new headset. However, Hanke, whose company worked with Qualcomm to build mixed reality headset prototypes, said he now believes lower-cost, lightweight smart glasses are a “much bigger opportunity” than devices like Apple’s Vision Pro, which it will cost $3,499.

For Meta, which has invested billions in sophisticated virtual reality headsets to immerse users in virtual worlds, screenless smart glasses may seem a far cry from its original “metaverse” vision.

But Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, said he expects the two types of glasses to merge over the next decade. Meanwhile, Facebook’s parent company’s foray into smart glasses reflects Meta’s renewed focus on AI.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman discussed creating an AI wearable device with former Apple designer Jony Ive and SoftBank chief Masayoshi Son, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.

Meanwhile, Samsung has registered trademarks in the US and UK for “Samsung Glasses” and “Galaxy Glasses”, raising speculation that it may be working on a competitor to Meta’s smart glasses.

“We are truly on the cusp of better experiences,” said Carolina Milanesi, analyst at Creative Strategies. “It’s very different from the Google Glass thing.”