Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg envisions a future where smart glasses with holographic displays gradually replace mobile phones as humanity’s primary communication and computing device. In a recent interview with YouTuber Kane “Calaway” Sutter, Zuckerberg discussed a variety of topics, including artificial intelligence and open source.
When asked about Meta’s most exciting future product, Zuckerberg backed smart glasses with a camera, microphone, speaker, and full field-of-view (FOV) holographic display.
Ad and technoverse pundits often mock Meta for its shift from Facebook to a metaverse-focused company, but Zuckerberg remains optimistic that smart glasses are on the verge of replacing smartphones. He explains that these wearable holographic displays won’t completely replace smartphones, but they could be useful enough that most people will keep their phones in their pockets.
Meta envisions three distinct products to achieve this: display-less glasses leveraging voice AI, heads-up display glasses that offer a basic display without full holograms, and premium glasses with full FOV holographic displays.
The product aims to bridge the gap between the current display-less Ray-Ban Meta and larger, bulkier VR headsets designed for virtual reality, making it more suitable for augmented reality and mixed reality applications.
The Future of Digital Interaction through Virtual Reality
Meta’s holographic glasses are intended to change the way we interact with augmented reality and the digital world. Zuckerberg outlined potential applications ranging from simple information overlays similar to video game HUDs to complex interactions with digital assets such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The technology promises to seamlessly blend digital content into the physical environment, enhancing everyday activities.
In particular, Meta’s advanced AR technology, applied to its soon-to-be-released ‘full holographic’ glasses, demonstrates its significant investment in Reality Labs to develop cutting-edge VR and AR wearables.
Moreover, these glasses could serve as the primary interface for non-invasive neural devices. Unlike Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which requires surgical implants for brain-computer interfaces, Meta is developing a neural wristband that reads and interprets neural signals. The wristband and holographic glasses provide a user-friendly alternative for digital interaction without direct brain intervention.
Zuckerberg emphasized the non-invasive nature of the technology, saying, “Most people wouldn’t want to have something wired into their brain.”
Meta’s Full FOV holographic display utilizing neural network wristband can create immersive digital environments and turn the real world into a Web3 workspace.
Since Web3 emphasizes decentralization and blockchain technology, these glasses could improve user interaction with digital currencies and assets, making cryptocurrencies and NFTs mainstream.
Timeline and Prototype
Zuckerberg noted that Meta is taking a cautious approach to timelines, focusing on perfecting the technology before a wide rollout.
But the prototype stage is imminent. “We’re almost ready to show a prototype version of a fully holographic glasses,” Zuckerberg shared. These prototypes won’t be sold, but Meta plans to demonstrate them to select individuals. These glasses could serve as the primary display for a neural interface, providing a perfect alternative to invasive procedures.
The potential of smart glasses with full-field holographic displays includes real-time communication, information overlays, and heads-up display capabilities similar to those used in video games or military equipment.