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Meta has concluded its Connect 2023 event, unveiling its next-generation mixed-reality headset, the Meta Quest 3, and a pair of smart glasses. In addition to these announcements, Meta had several updates related to AI. Let’s delve into the key revelations from the event.
The highly anticipated Meta Quest 3, teased in June just before Apple’s Vision Pro reveal, has now been unveiled in all its glory. This mixed reality headset boasts a full-colour passthrough and seamlessly integrates augmented reality elements into your surroundings. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip, it promises double the performance of its predecessor, the Quest 2. Expect crisper visuals and an expanded depth of field, all while maintaining a 90Hz refresh rate.
Notably, the Quest 3 offers improved comfort for glasses wearers due to a redesign and allows users to adjust inter-pupillary distance with a dial.
Moreover, Microsoft 365 apps will soon be accessible on Quest, with future support for Windows. Pre-orders for the Quest 3 are now open, starting at $500 for the 128GB model, while the 512GB variant, bundled with a six-month trial of Meta Quest+, is priced at $650. Mark your calendars for October 10 as the release date.
The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses represent a leap forward from their predecessors, the Ray-Ban Stories. They feature a 12MP wide-angle camera capable of recording 1080p video at 60fps, enabling users to capture and share life’s moments. Users can also effortlessly share photos with friends and family directly from the glasses using a simple voice command.
Sound recording is handled by five microphones for spatial audio, while the built-in speakers have been upgraded for louder sound, thanks to custom-designed speakers with extended bass, higher maximum volume, and improved directional audio.
The glasses come with a sleeker charging case capable of providing up to eight additional charges, totalling 36 hours of use. Pre-orders for the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have begun, starting at an accessible $299, and the device is set to ship on October 17.
Meta has exciting news that Xbox Cloud Gaming will make its debut on the Meta Quest 3 in December. From the demos, its implementation seems to resemble Apple’s vision for its headset, with a virtual screen that hovers in front of you in both virtual and mixed-reality spaces.
Meta introduces Meta AI, a chatbot to be integrated into a range of products, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and the Quest 3. If you’re familiar with ChatGPT or similar AI chatbots, Meta AI will feel right at home. This versatile chatbot can answer questions, assist in planning trips with friends, and provide real-time web results powered by Microsoft Bing.
Meta AI can also generate images akin to Dall-E and Midjourney using the “/imagine” prompt. Both image generation and the chatbot are free to use.
In tandem with Meta AI, the company rolls out new AI chatbot characters for interactive interactions. The initial roster features 28 AI characters, including celebrities like Kendall Jenner, MrBeast, Paris Hilton, and Snoop Dogg. These characters have profile pictures that animate in response to your conversations.
WhatsApp users can soon send personalised stickers with the ‘Create’ option within the stickers tab, allowing for the generation of new stickers based on text inputs.
Meanwhile, Instagram enthusiasts can anticipate an AI-powered image editing and restyling feature coming next month. This includes two new features: ‘restyle,’ allowing users to edit existing images with text prompts like “watercolour” or “magazine collage,” and ‘backdrop,’ which provides new backgrounds to images through prompts.
Meta ensures transparency by identifying and labeling AI-generated images so users can distinguish between synthetic and real content.
