Meta Connect 2025 Preview: AI-Powered Smart Glasses, Hypernova Launch, and Metaverse Insights Expected from Mark Zuckerberg
The much-anticipated annual conference hosted by the tech giant, scheduled for Wednesday evening, will showcase its latest advancements, with the focus on its AI-integrated smart glasses in collaboration with Ray-Ban and Oakley. Alongside these innovative eyewear, the company may unveil further surprises related to the Metaverse, Quest headsets, or its broader AI aspirations.
The corporation has reportedly sold millions of Ray-Ban smart glasses, while earlier this year, it debuted its AI-powered Oakley glasses designed for athletes. The tech industry, particularly Silicon Valley, is keen on AI wearables, and this company appears to be a frontrunner in the race.
This conference marks the first Connect event since the establishment of the company’s Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), its most ambitious attempt yet to develop advanced AI systems under the leadership of former Scale AI CEO, Alexandr Wang. Updates on MSL’s progress and insights from some MSL executives might be shared during the conference.
As the company strives to reassert itself in the AI competition, this year’s Connect carries significant implications.
The keynote address will commence at 5 p.m. PT on Wednesday and will be delivered by the CEO. The event will take place physically at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park. Interested individuals can register for free to stream the event online through the company’s website. The agenda indicates that the keynote will last approximately an hour.
For those wishing to experience the Menlo Park atmosphere from home, they can access the keynote via Horizon using their Meta Quest headset. Alternatively, the Meta Connect 2025 keynote will be accessible on Facebook through the company’s official developer page, Meta for Developers.
On Thursday, a Developer Keynote will take place at 10 a.m. PT to discuss the new experiences developers can create with their devices. Subsequently, at 10:45 a.m. PT, there will be a dialogue between Chief Scientist of Reality Labs Michael Abrash and VP of Reality Labs Research Richard Newcombe. The conversation will revolve around “the future of glasses with contextual AI” and Meta’s role in transforming the future of computing.
Leaks have already surfaced, hinting at the unveiling of a new smart glass model named Hypernova during the conference. A now-deleted video on Meta’s YouTube channel, discovered by UploadVR, featured Ray-Ban smart glasses with a heads-up display on the right lens, cameras, microphones, and an onboard AI assistant.
These glasses in the video were controlled by a wristband, which was unveiled during last year’s Connect and responds to subtle hand gestures. The video suggests that Meta will reveal, if not launch, the Hypernova glasses during this week’s event.
Reports also indicate that Meta is expected to present a new pair of smart glasses it developed with Oakley at the conference. These glasses are speculated to be in Oakley’s Spheara style, featuring a large unified lens on the front – an ergonomic design suitable for runners and cyclists. Unlike previous models, this version will have one centered camera above the nose bridge rather than two cameras on the top corners of the frames.
Regarding VR headsets, it remains uncertain if Meta will announce any new Quest models during this year’s Connect. Despite the conference’s name being derived from the Metaverse, it seems that focus might shift away from that area this year. According to reports, Meta is working on an ultralight VR headset for release by the end of 2026. However, it could delay showing off this product until next year’s Connect.
Nonetheless, the company has confirmed that its CEO will discuss the Metaverse during the event in some capacity. Given its recent endeavors into AI development and acquisitions, it would not be surprising if the conference serves as a platform to highlight these efforts.
At present, the standalone AI app, which controls smart glasses and functions as an AI chatbot, exists in a somewhat confusing state. It’s possible that this app may receive updates intended to make its use more intuitive.
