Meta Connect 2024 showcased significant innovations, outshining recent Apple announcements. Key highlights include:
Meta Quest 3S: Priced at €329.99, this budget-friendly version retains most features of the Quest 3, excluding depth detection. Meta reduced the Quest 3 price to €549.99, emphasizing accessibility in mixed reality.
Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: Updated with Meta's AI, these glasses can perform real-time translations, memorize information, and assist visually impaired users through a partnership with Be My Eyes.
Orion Project Prototype: Holographic glasses that integrate gesture control, voice recognition, and a neural interface to track wrist movements, offering an immersive augmented reality experience.
AI Innovations: Meta introduced deep fake capabilities, allowing realistic video calls with avatars that mimic real people, and real-time dubbing for Reels, synchronizing facial movements with translated speech.
While Apple's Vision Pro offers higher-end features, the affordability and functionality of Meta's offerings position them as potential best-sellers in the mixed reality market. Meta's bold innovations contrast with Apple's incremental updates, suggesting a shift in leadership in the tech space.