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There is another?
I’m reusing this leaked image to highlight a third pair of new smart glasses I think are hidden in plain sight: a new generation of Ray-Bans without a display.
I’ve been speculating such a pair of glasses will be revealed at Connect for some time now, ever since Meta launched its Oakley HSTN glasses that come with an upgraded battery and camera compared to the Ray-Bans that launched back in 2023.
The image above doesn’t immediately suggest the displayless Ray-Bans are getting an upgrade save for one subtle detail; Meta has yet to produce Ray-Ban smart glasses in an opaque blue frame like the one we see in the image.
This could just be cluing us into new styles coming the to Ray-Bans we alreday know and love, but my money is on a second generation of Ray-Bans as frankly it just makes too much sense – what with the HSTN upgrades, and incoming competition from rivals like Android XR in 2026 meaning Meta will want to put its best foot forward.
Sportier Oakley specs?
In the picture below (and the one above) which Meta itself leaked before today’s event you’ll see a pair of smart glasses that look like a visor. I’m confident these are the Oakley Sphaera smart glasses that were teased earlier this year.
According to the rumors these smart specs are made specially for athletes. The sporty visor looks ideal for elite runners or cyclists, but I’m hoping we also see some exciting tech built into the glasses (perhaps even a built-in heart rate monitor like what we’ve seen from the new Apple AirPods Pro 3), and an improved AI sports coach to help users up their fitness game while wearing these smart glasses.
Interetsingly these glasses seem to shift the camera from the wearer’s temple to the center of the specs which should be handy for using them as an action cam as you’ll have a better idea of the perspective the specs will be capturing. When the camera is closer to just one eye the perspective can be a little offset and tricky to guage unless you use the glasses plenty.
We mentioned in a post earlier that Meta might have actually spoiled its own Connect announcements thanks to a video it posted to its YouTube account this week.
The video showcased a few different glasses designs including the hotly anticipated Meta Ray-Bans with a display.
While the leaked advert teased a few details like a full-color screen which can provide useful info on a heads up display like a map for dicrections or real-time translations it didn’t reveal their full specs, nor how much the glasses would cost.
These are questiosn we’re hoping Meta will answer at Connect in a few hours.
Howdy folks, Hamish Hector checking in and taking over the live blog. I’ll be with you until Meta Connect wraps up (so for the next eight hours or so).
Here at TechRadar I cover all things tech as part of our news team, but specialize in XR gadgets which includes VR headsets and smart glasses (basically the sort of tech we’ll see at Connect today).
As we approach the event’s start time (5pm PST which here in the UK is 1am BST, yuck) I’ll keep clueing you in on what I expoect we’ll see, and as the festivities kick off we’ll see if the leaks and my speculation are correct.
There’s going to be lots of new smart glasses tech on show later – the rumored Ray-Ban Meta Displays and new wristband for gesture controls seem likely, for starters. But the frames most people are likely to buy are still the standard Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses – and there’s a good chance we’ll see an updated pair of those, too.
Back in July, we saw a leak picked up by UploadVRthat apparently showed renders for next-generation glasses. There were two models, with a pair of smart sunnies codenamed ‘Aperol’ and some prescription eyewear called ‘Bellini’. You’re making us thirsty, Meta.
These could well be different from the upgrades we’ll see today, but a new pair of Meta’s original collab with Ray-Ban seems a good bet, since it’s been a couple of years since they originally launched. Hopefully, the battery life, cameras and design will get a refresh if so, without adding too much to the price tag.
A glimpse of what we could see
Meta certainly doesn’t have the VR and AR space completely to itself – Snap is also turning itself into a surprisingly strong contender for the latter, as my colleague Hamish Hector discovered recently.
In a preview with Snap’s upgraded operating system for its Spectacles AR glasses, he was left convinced that “AR glasses will likely be the next big thing”. Snap OS 2.0 can give you tips on how to use objects in your vision, offers genuinely useful help with live translations and, naturally, serves up some pretty decent gaming experiences too.
With Snap promising to “introduce lightweight immersive Specs to the public next year”, it’ll be interesting to see how Meta responds today. Check out our full report on Snap’s quiet move into becoming an AR powerhouse while you wait for Meta’s keynote, it’s well worth a read. Or you can also watch the video below for a glimpse of what it’s like wearing them.
What won’t we see at Connect 2025?
NEW: Details on the upcoming ASUS ROG VR headset running Meta Horizon OS.It is codenamed Tarius, and will likely be one of the first 3P Horizon OS HMDs to ship.It is planned to include Eye Tracking and Face Tracking. The displays will be QD-LCD with local dimming or µOLED. pic.twitter.com/K5pYxcBK4hJanuary 12, 2025
If you’re more a fan of VR headsets than smart glasses, there’s been mixed news in the rumors for this year’s Connect.
On the downside, it’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a Meta Quest 4. In fact, it’s reportedly been delayed until 2027, so you can cross that one off your bingo card (barring a major shock).
Still, there’s a chance we could hear more about the rumored Asus Tarius VR headset instead. TechRadar’s AR/VR expert Hamish Hector called it “the headset of my dreams” earlier this year, with the specs pointing to a high-end VR gaming headset.
That will also likely mean a high price, but an appearance from the “performance gaming headset” that Meta announced last year following its partnership with Asus ROG would be a very welcome substitute for Quest 4 news later. Fingers crossed.
It’s still over seven hours until Mark Zuckerberg takes the stage at Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. But like the tech bloodhound he is, TechRadar’s Editor At Large Lance Ulanoff is already on the ground and hunting for news.
So far, we haven’t spotted much apart from the branded banners above, but Lance is on-brand in his Ray-Ban Meta glasses – and will be bringing us any last-minute leaks and rumors straight from the show.
A last-minute hint from Zuck
Firstly, let’s take a moment to appreciate Mark Zuckerberg’s profile photo on Threads. Is he planning a WWE guest appearance soon?
Cryptically, the Meta CEO also posted the emoji-heavy message above about Connect 2025. Is it hinting at gesture controls? One of the big rumors has been the arrival of a new wristband for the new Meta Rya-Ban Display glasses, which would offer just that.
That’s our best guess here, but let us know if you can crack the code.
Meta has given us a taste of what’s coming today by accidentally publishing a video on its socials – and my cynical side says yesterday’s ‘leak’ was very conveniently timed.
Still, it does seem to confirm the rumors that today’s event is going to be pretty fun – particularly if you like smart glasses. Two shoo-ins appear to be the Meta Ray-Ban Display (the long-awaited smart glasses with a small screen) and new Oakley pair with a visor-style design that seemingly moves the camera from the temple to the nose.
These are interesting for different reasons. The Ray-Ban Display promises features like an on-screen map for directions – for me, that’s one of the killer smart glasses features I’ve been waiting for. The display is also handy for translations. The Oakley pair, meanwhile, sound much better for sport, particularly with that centered camera – watch out, GoPro.
In short, here’s what the leaks and rumors suggest we could see later:
- Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses
- Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3)
- Oakley Meta Sphaera Glasses
- A new smartwatch / wristband
What happened last year?
Is this your first Meta Connect? Here’s a recap of last year to give you an idea of what’s coming.
Firstly, don’t surprised if there’s a delay – last year, Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage a little after the scheduled start time.
Still, once he arrived, he rolled off a decent list of announcements. We got our first glimpse of the Orion AR glasses, Meta’s first holographic spectacles that are controlled with a wristband. Expect to hear more about those today.
We also saw the launch of the Meta Quest 3S, which we branded the “world’s best affordable VR headset” despite having inferior displays to its pricier Quest 3 sibling. Inevitably, we also got plenty of Meta AI news, including a new voice mode for its AI chatbot and AI image generation for Facebook and Instagram.
Personally, I’m not too fussed about Meta’s AI innovations compared to its Quest and smart glasses tech. Fortunately, it sounds like Connect 2025 is going to go pretty big on the latter…
Hello, and welcome to our Meta Connect 2025 liveblog. I think this is going to be the most hardware-packed Connect event for a few years, so it’s definitely going to be worth a watch – whatever your thoughts on Meta and Mark Zuckerberg.
I’ll be taking you through what we can expect to see, the last-minute leaks and what this all means for smart glasses. Meta may have made a few missteps (remember the metaverse, anyone?), but you can’t deny it’s the current leader in face-mounted tech.
Let’s take a look at what’s likely coming our way in just under nine hours’ time…