Meta Plans Smart Glasses With Screen, Gesture Controls in 2025

Meta Platforms Inc. is preparing to introduce a premium version of its smart glasses, incorporating a screen and hand-gesture controls. The new device, expected to launch by the end of the year, marks a step toward reducing reliance on smartphones, according to sources familiar with the project.

The upcoming glasses, internally named Hypernova, will be Meta’s first to feature a display, allowing users to view photos and apps. Employees estimate the price will range between $1,000 and $1,400, though final pricing remains undecided.

Meta’s existing Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, starting at $299, have seen strong consumer interest. The company plans to continue offering that model while positioning the new version as a high-end alternative. Other tech firms, including Amazon, are also developing competing products.

A primary cost driver for Hypernova is the display, a single-lens screen positioned in the lower-right corner of the right lens. Information will be visible in the right eye, optimized for downward viewing.

Meta is already working on a second-generation version, Hypernova 2, featuring a binocular display for both eyes. That iteration is slated for a 2027 release.

The new glasses align with Meta’s broader ambition of augmented reality. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.

A prototype of Hypernova reveals several key functionalities. Upon startup, the screen displays Meta’s logo along with branding from hardware partners such as Qualcomm. The home screen features circular app icons in a horizontal layout, resembling Meta’s Quest interface.

The glasses will include dedicated applications for capturing images, viewing photos, and accessing maps. They will support notifications from smartphone apps, including Messenger and WhatsApp. Other functions will mirror the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, such as video recording, AI-assisted voice commands, and phone pairing for calls and music.

Operating on a customized version of Google’s Android OS, the glasses will lack an onboard app store. Users will navigate via capacitive touch controls on the temple bars, allowing scrolling and tapping to select content.

Meta also plans to introduce a neural wristband, codenamed Ceres, enabling gesture-based interactions. Wearers can scroll through content by rotating their hand and select items by pinching their fingers. The company intends to bundle this accessory with the glasses.

The new model will feature an upgraded camera. Internally, Meta views the current 12-megapixel camera as comparable to an iPhone 11. The Hypernova camera is expected to reach the quality of an iPhone 13. A new carrying case, called Heres, designed as a collapsible triangular prism, is also in development.

Meta’s product plans are subject to change. The company has previously canceled devices late in development, including a camera-free variant of its smart glasses, codenamed Luna, which was intended to lower costs and address privacy concerns.

Meta is also finalizing a non-display smart glasses model, Supernova 2, based on an Oakley design. Targeted at athletes, including cyclists, this model is currently undergoing real-world testing.

The timeline for Hypernova’s successor could overlap with Meta’s augmented reality (AR) glasses project. Meta previewed prototype AR glasses, Orion, last year, but consumer-ready versions are expected later. The first commercially available AR glasses, under the Artemis project, are unlikely to launch before 2027.