Meta Connect 2024 Highlights: Mark Zuckerberg unveils new Quest 3S, Llama 3.2 model, and AI upgrades to Ray-Ban smart glasses

- Meta Quest 3S: The company’s latest VR headset — Quest 3S, a toned-down version of Quest 3, is priced at $300, which is $200 cheaper than the Quest 3. It is available with 128/256 GB of internal storage.

- Llama 3.2 model: It includes small and medium-sized vision LLMs (11B and 90B), and lightweight, text-only models (1B and 3B) that fit onto edge and mobile devices, including pre-trained and instruction-tuned versions. Llama 3.2 is being released everywhere except in the European Union (EU).

- AI improvements for Ray-Ban smart glasses: These updates allow the AI to answer follow-up questions without the 'Hey Meta' prompt, recognise what you're looking at without needing a command, and remembers details like where you parked your car. Additionally, the new AI feature can also scan QR codes and make calls based on information on flyers while also translating in real-time.

- Orion: It is a standalone smart glass with no wires that weighs less than 100 grams and includes a sharp holographic display, making it the company’s first consumer-grade, full holographic AR glasses.

It is the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen, says Zuckerberg, while showing off the latest prototype of Orion.

It will be available everywhere but the EU, says Zuckerberg.

One of the simplest use cases for AI is your AI assistant, Meta AI differentiates itself in this category by offering unlimited access to these models integrated into Meta products, says Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg touts it as the highest-quality mixed reality experience on the market. Priced at $299 and available for shipping starting October 15, this device boasts features like advanced mixed reality, hand tracking, and Touch Plus controllers. With access to thousands of apps and games, the Quest 3S is designed to offer an immersive and optimised experience for a wide range of gaming genres. The device seems to be positioning itself as a game-changer in the world of virtual and augmented reality.

We're ten minutes past the scheduled time of 10:30pm and the live-stream is yet to begin. Oh, and there's 23,000 Facebook users tuned into the live-stream so far.

A few days ago, Reuters reported that Meta was planning to announce a new AI feature that will let users give its Meta AI chatbot the voice of a celebrity. The list of celebrities reportedly includes actors Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, John Cena, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key. We may hear more about these new AI audio capabilities at today's annual Connect conference.

According to The Information, Meta is planning to release its highly-anticipated Quest 4 and 4S models only in 2026. The two consumer-focused, premium headsets have reportedly been codenamed Pismo Low and Pismo High. However, the tech giant is expected to introduce Quest 3S, the more affordable option in the lineup, today. These developments come in the backdrop of Meta's efforts to cut the spending of Reality Labs, its XR and metaverse arm, by 20 per cent, as per the report.

With just hours to go for Meta's Connect 2024 event to begin, here's a list of the developer-focused sessions that have been planned for later:

- Momentum with mixed-reality

- Get started with mixed reality

- Paths and pitfalls of mixed reality design

- How we’re improving the Meta Horizon developer experience

- Learn about Meta Quest devices

- Making Meta Quest 3 shine: tools, tips and best practices for maximum performance

- Unlocking more with 2D apps on Meta Horizon

- Introducing the new Meta spatial app framework

- Yeeps: A Meta Horizon Start success story

- Launch and grow in the Meta Horizon Store

- Llama 101

- How Meta technologies are built with Llama models

At last year’s annual developer conference, Meta had unveiled the Quest 3 mixed-reality headset powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip with a Microsoft 365 integration and design adjustments for glass wearers.

It had also introduced upgraded Ray-Ban smart glasses featuring a 2MP wide-angle camera that’s capable of recording 1080p video at 60fps and comes with five mics as well as built-in speakers improved for directional audio.

Connect 2023 further saw the debut of Meta AI, the AI virtual assistant that has now been integrated with WhatsApp, Instagram, etc, and the company had revealed that Xbox Cloud Gaming was coming to Quest 3. Judging by last year’s event, we can probably expect to hear about some brand new AI features for the first time.

Earlier this month, Meta announced that it will continue to work with eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica in building new smart glasses till 2030 and even beyond that. The recently extended partnership between the tech giant and the Ray-Ban maker began in 2019, leading to the release of two models of smart glasses so far.

“I’m excited about our long term roadmap ahead. We have the opportunity to turn glasses into the next major technology platform, and make it fashionable in the process,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a press release.

Did Mark Zuckerberg accidentally leak Meta's new AR smart glasses? Well, rumours have been swirling for months that Meta is working on a new pair of AR smart glasses after a user with a keen eye spotted it in a Threads post by Zuckerberg. Rather than deny it, the CEO replied that more information will be revealed later this year. Was that "later" supposed to mean the annual developer conference happening today? We'll have to wait and watch.