Although it started late, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s opening keynote at Meta Connect 2024 proved to be a dynamic and newsworthy event. Zuckerberg and his team showcased numerous AI tools, such as new celebrity voices and live translation for Meta AI, along with the Quest 3S hardware and a prototype for futuristic AR glasses. They also presented updates for the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
For a detailed recap of all the announcements from the event, including insights from Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, check out our live blog.
Read more: Meta Debuts Orion: Its First AR Glasses Prototype at Connect Conference
Below, we highlight the six most significant unveilings from Meta’s keynote.
First Look at the Prototype Orion AR Glasses
The highlight of Meta Connect was Mark Zuckerberg unveiling the Orion AR glasses, the company’s first fully holographic model. These glasses resemble the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses but are slightly thicker.
Packed with advanced technology, the Orion glasses feature a new display architecture and are completely transparent. They are controlled using hand gestures through a wristband connected to a neural network. Demonstrations showcased their use in gaming and video calls with personal avatars.
Feedback from the demos praised the glasses’ lightweight design, which utilizes a magnesium frame and silicon carbide lenses for optimal display projection. Although still a few years from release, Meta plans to launch early developer kits for select users while working on reducing the final price.
The Meta Quest 3S is Official
After much speculation, Meta has officially announced the Quest 3S, marking it as the entry-level model in the Quest mixed-reality headset range. Priced affordably at $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99 for the 128GB version, it aims to make high-quality mixed reality accessible to a wider audience.
The Quest 3S shares a similar design to the Quest 3 but features a revamped front with an updated camera setup. It is equipped with a Qualcomm processor that efficiently runs Horizon OS, enabling smooth gameplay for titles like Batman: Arkham Shadow and allowing users to multitask seamlessly.
We look forward to exploring the Quest 3S further; in the meantime, you can read our hands-on review for insights on what promises to be an impressive and budget-friendly headset.
Chatting with Meta AI and Celebrities Now Possible
Meta unveiled significant updates to Meta AI at Meta Connect 2024, introducing voice capabilities to the AI chatbot. Notably, users can now converse with the chatbot using the voices of celebrities such as John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kristen Bell. This enhancement allows for more natural, human-like interactions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram Direct Messages, WhatsApp, and Messenger. With this update, Meta AI competes more directly with major AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Apple, which are also incorporating voice functionalities into their AI offerings.
Significant Updates for Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, No New Model Released
Although not as groundbreaking as the Orion glasses prototype, Meta announced a range of updates for its Ray-Ban Smart Glasses. Users will now have hands-free access to their favorite songs, audiobooks, or podcasts from platforms like Spotify and Audible. Instead of specifying a song, you can request a genre or artist, like a Taylor Swift pop hit or a classic folk tune, enhancing the natural conversational capabilities of Meta AI.
In addition to music, the smart glasses will support language translation by the end of the year. Users can point at text in Spanish, French, or Italian and ask Meta AI to translate it. The glasses will also feature visual reminders, quicker transitions to sunglasses, and enhanced Meta AI capabilities for video. All these features are expected to roll out before 2025.
Meta AI translation for Instagram Reels
Meta has introduced an exciting new AI translation tool for Instagram and Facebook Reels, enabling content creators to reach a broader audience through automatic dubbing and lip-syncing. Currently in testing in the U.S. and Latin America, Meta plans to expand these translation capabilities to additional languages in the future.
This innovation could transform how users consume video content, allowing them to enjoy portrait videos from around the globe in their native language without relying on subtitles.
AI Image Generation Now Available on Facebook and Instagram
Meta is integrating its Imagine features into Facebook and Instagram to compete with leading AI image generators like Apple’s Image Playground and X’s Grok LLM, which enable users to create images based on their imagination.
These features will be seamlessly incorporated into Meta’s social media platforms, allowing users to easily share AI-generated images with friends and create engaging posts for their feeds and stories, adding a new layer of creativity to their Facebook and Instagram profiles
