Meta Connect 2025 Preview: Unveiling of AI-Powered Smart Glasses, Potential Launch of Hypernova, and AI Ambitions Discussion
The much-anticipated annual conference of a leading tech company, known for its innovation in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, is set to commence on Wednesday evening. This year’s event, slated to feature the unveiling of AI-powered smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban and Oakley, promises to be a significant one. The company may also reveal some unexpected developments related to its Metaverse, Quest headsets, or broader AI aspirations.
The tech giant has reportedly sold millions of units of Ray-Ban smart glasses and earlier this year introduced AI-powered smart glasses designed for athletes in collaboration with Oakley. This move signifies the company’s commitment to AI wearables, a trend that Silicon Valley is heavily investing in.
This conference marks the company’s first since the establishment of its advanced AI research lab, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). It’s plausible that updates regarding this project and insights from MSL executives will be shared during the event.
With the tech giant aiming to reassert its position in the competitive AI landscape, this year’s conference carries a heightened sense of importance.
The keynote address, delivered by the CEO, is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park. Interested individuals can register for free to stream the event live on the company’s website or access it via Horizon through a Meta Quest headset. The keynote is expected to last approximately an hour.
On Thursday, a Developer Keynote will take place at 10 a.m. PT, focusing on new experiences that can be created with the company’s devices. At 10:45 a.m. PT, a discussion between the Chief Scientist of Reality Labs and the VP of Reality Labs Research is scheduled, during which they will discuss the “future of glasses with contextual AI and Meta’s role in shaping the future of computing.”
Several leaks have already surfaced about the upcoming announcements at the conference. The most significant pertains to a new type of smart glasses named Hypernova.
A video, since removed from Meta’s YouTube channel, revealed a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses equipped with a heads-up display on the right lens, cameras, microphones, and an onboard AI assistant. These glasses are controlled by a wristband, first introduced at last year’s conference and responding to subtle hand gestures. It is suggested that Meta will unveil and potentially launch the Hypernova glasses during this week’s event.
Meta also plans to introduce a new pair of smart glasses in collaboration with Oakley at the conference. These AI-powered glasses are expected to follow Oakley’s Spheara style, featuring a large unified lens ideal for runners and cyclists. Unlike previous models, this design boasts a single camera positioned above the nose bridge instead of two cameras on the top corners of the frames.
Regarding VR, it remains uncertain whether the company will release new Quest headsets as part of this year’s conference. Despite the event and the company being named after the Metaverse, it appears that focus on this front is minimal this year. Reports suggest that Meta is developing an ultralight VR headset for launch by the end of 2026, which may be unveiled at next year’s conference instead.
However, the company assures that the CEO will address the Metaverse in some capacity during this year’s event. We have no reason to doubt that.
In terms of its AI ambitions, it would not be surprising if the CEO used the platform at Connect 2025 to showcase the work being done by MSL. The company’s first LlamaCon, an AI developer conference, took place earlier this year following Meta’s significant investment in Scale AI and recruitment of industry researchers.
At present, the standalone AI app, which controls smart glasses and can function as an AI chatbot, is in a somewhat confusing state. It’s possible that this app will receive updates to enhance its usability.
