Meta’s smart glasses are controversial for an increasing number of reasons at this point, but the biggest reason is easily the cameras. Cameras on your face, as it turns out, can be used for all sorts of unsavory stuff, but there is one way to prevent that, and it’s by removing them from the equation entirely.
According to a report from The Information, that’s exactly what Meta is planning to do with a new generation of smart glasses codenamed Luna that might launch next week during Meta Connect, the company’s annual hardware showcase. Luna, The Information reports, do not have cameras, but they do have microphones, which act as a pathway to Meta’s AI.
Using a voice assistant, anyone wearing Meta’s new camera-less smart glasses would reportedly be able to interface with Muse, Meta’s new AI model that lives on its current line of first-party and Ray-Ban-branded smart glasses. In addition to AI features, Luna will also have speakers, which separates them from other camera-less smart glasses like those made by Even Realities.
With the exclusion of a camera, Luna might also be a bit smaller, with slimmer arms, presenting more as a regular pair of glasses, which is, again, similar to Even Realities, though unlike the Even G2, Luna doesn’t appear to have any screen inside.
If Luna is truly in the works, it’s clear that Meta is taking a blanket approach to its smart glasses offerings, which makes a lot of sense. As desirable as having a camera on a pair of smart glasses is to some, it’s also a major liability. Camera glasses are getting banned in all sorts of places, including courts, popular restaurants and bars, and even in some public spaces. There’s also the perception problem.
While some people may not mind the idea of walking around with cameras on people’s faces, the idea viscerally offends others. One quick way to circumvent any potential backlash is by getting rid of the one thing that people know to look for and hate on principle.
According to The Information, there’s a chance that Luna may be announced next week at Meta Connect with a hard launch in October, so if the company does indeed have camera-less smart glasses in the hopper, I’ll be there to show you exactly what they can and cannot do.
