Meta Tech Conference Preview: Smart Glasses with Built-in Display Leaked, AI and Metaverse Advance on Multiple Fronts

Meta’s official website indicates that Meta Connect 2025 will take place from September 17 to 18 Pacific Standard Time, with Mark Zuckerberg delivering a keynote address at 5 PM on the 17th.  

 

The website states that Zuckerberg will “share the latest updates on AI glasses and Meta’s vision for artificial intelligence and the metaverse” during his speech. Following this, Meta executives will host developer keynotes to showcase the latest technologies.  

 

Smart Glasses  

Analysts highlight that this year’s Connect is particularly noteworthy, with two new smart glasses models expected to debut, one featuring a display—a detail Meta itself inadvertently leaked.  

 

According to tech outlet UploadVR, Meta uploaded a video showcasing the new smart glasses on a video platform on Monday, only to delete it shortly after. UploadVR later shared two clips on social media introducing the glasses.  

 

The first clip features a collaboration with Ray-Ban and Oakley, unveiling a compact monocular heads-up display (HUD) glasses model labeled “Meta-Ray-Ban Display,” where “Display” refers to the screen.  

 

This “Display” model sports a black, thick-framed design with a display on the right lens, capable of showing map information and real-time photo translations. Paired with a wristband, users can also send and receive messages.  

 

 

Analysts suggest this video may have prematurely revealed a major surprise for Meta Connect—the integration of HUD—bringing Meta closer to launching a commercial glasses model with technology comparable to its Orion prototype.  

 

Reports indicate this model is expected to launch later this year, priced at approximately $800. Compared to most Meta-Ray-Ban glasses priced at $300, the new product targets a higher-end, niche audience.  

 

 

The second clip showcases a panoramic, wraparound glasses design resembling ski goggles (featured on a skier in the video), with a camera on the nose bridge, likely without a “Display” screen.  

 

Analysts believe this could be the rumored Oakley Meta Sphaera glasses. In June, Meta launched the “Oakley Meta HSTN,” targeting athletes and fitness enthusiasts, with several high-profile athletes enlisted to promote it.  

 

Rocco Basilico, head of wearable devices at EssilorLuxottica—the parent company of Oakley and Ray-Ban and the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer—posted that this year’s Connect will be especially significant, expressing pride in the collaborative achievements.  

 

Zuckerberg has long been optimistic about smart glasses. In a July earnings call, he stated that smart glasses will ultimately become the primary way people interact with AI, putting those who don’t use them at a “cognitive disadvantage.”  

 

Meta’s website suggests Connect’s agenda hints at opening its smart glasses to developers. If more developers explore the ecosystem, the functionality of Meta’s existing glasses could be further enhanced.  

Meta AI  

As in previous years, AI will remain a key theme. Meta AI boasts 1 billion monthly active users (a figure Zuckerberg is likely to highlight again), with new features expected for its glasses and in-app offerings.  

 

There are also reports that Meta is developing a new batch of non-English “character-driven” chatbots for its apps. Beyond chatbots, the public anticipates Zuckerberg elaborating on his vision for “superintelligence.”  

 

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg may use Connect to stabilize expectations around the Llama model. The larger Llama 4 model has been delayed, reportedly due to engineering challenges.  

 

There are also signs that Zuckerberg might be gradually tightening his stance on open-source AI.  

Metaverse  

Though the metaverse’s buzz has been overshadowed by AI in recent years, a Connect without VR news wouldn’t feel complete.  

 

Recently, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth hinted on Instagram about a “metaverse software” update related to Horizon Worlds to be unveiled at the event.  

 

The company recently previewed to developers its plan to introduce AI-driven NPCs in the metaverse, with more details on how generative AI will shape the metaverse expected at the conference.  

 

While a new Quest headset is unlikely this year, there may be updates on third-party VR headsets running Meta’s VR software. Earlier this year, reports suggested Asus would be the first to launch a device with facial and eye-tracking features.  

 

 

Another possibility is an update to the holographic Codec Avatar briefly showcased last year. UploadVR suggests Meta might demonstrate a simplified version of the avatar, runnable on Quest 3 and potentially integrable with calling apps like WhatsApp.  $META