Meta has unveiled a product that will surprise everyone: the AR smart glasses called Orion, which implement a complete 3D hologram. The glasses seen in the photo behind Mark Zuckerberg are what we can refer to as Orion. However, since Orion is a proper noun, I will refer to it as Orion in accordance with its original pronunciation throughout this video. On the 25th of last month, during the annual developer conference Meta Connect 2023, Zuckerberg introduced the Orion A prototype. He stated that all previous attempts have involved headsets, goggles, or helmets, but Orion will be the next-generation computing device after smartphones. In the past, Meta has also released smart glasses in collaboration with the famous sunglasses brand Ray-Ban, as well as mixed reality devices like the Meta Quest. However, Orion is completely different from those.

Oryon is a complete AR smart glasses. Metal Adventures perfectly implements augmented reality, showing extended reality like Meta Quest, while taking the form of glasses rather than a headset. Zuckerberg confidently stated that if this is a real world with holograms layered on it, it is appropriate to view these glasses as a time machine for now. The market reacted positively. Meta's stock price rose by 0.88% to 568.3, just a day before the public reveal of Oryon on the 25th. The American investment firm JMP Securities stated that Oryon has positioned Meta as a leader in the new computing platform and significantly raised its target stock price from the previous $550 to $635. They also evaluated that it has the potential to revolutionize consumer experiences. Foreign media evaluations were also complimentary. At the Meta Connect event, no Korean media were invited.

Personally, I felt a bit disappointed, but the common opinion among some foreign journalists present at the scene was that it felt light. This photo shows a reporter from Reuters. Although Zuckerberg gathered the best people to form a team to create AR glasses with the launch of Orion, he revealed that it was almost an impossible mission, particularly because the most challenging aspect was reducing the product's weight to below 100 grams. Jensen Huang, the CEO of NVIDIA, appeared in the demo video and mentioned this. Of course, since it was a video that Zuckerberg requested him to shoot, it’s possible that Jensen Huang might have said something positive. Now, let me briefly explain the components of Orion that Meta unveiled. Orion is not just a simple pair of glasses; it includes glasses, a wristband, and a wireless computer called a puck.

It consists of three main devices. The typical black glasses, resembling sunglasses, have five front-facing cameras that are not easily noticeable to the eyes. These front-facing cameras identify the user's current location and track the user's hand movements while also providing AI information. Additionally, although it's not very visible, there are two more cameras inside the frame that track the user's eye movements. The movements of the user's eyes, which the cameras track, essentially function like moving a mouse cursor or scrolling. As I mentioned, scrolling is done with the eyes, so what do we use to click? It's done with the fingers. This wristband utilizes electromyography (EMG) technology to detect subtle hand movements of the user. Unlike Meta Quest or other AR devices, there's no need to raise the arm; simply pinching the thumb and index finger together can create a clicking effect. And when you pinch the thumb and middle finger...

This is a way to return to the homepage. The device, which can be conveniently carried in a pocket or bag, is equipped with two semiconductors. So, you can think of it as a wireless computer. When it is within a reasonable distance from the glasses, it functions wirelessly to handle complex calculations on the glasses. The Orion A lenses are slightly tinted like sunglasses, but they are made of silicon carbide rather than regular glass. This silicon carbide material prevents issues like distortion and glare, which are common with regular glass lenses. Additionally, they are significantly lighter than glass lenses. The glasses' frame is also made of magnesium, further reducing the weight. According to Meta, the field of view for the Orion A is 70 degrees, which is the largest among smart glasses released so far. The Orion was unveiled during Meta's Connect event in 2019.

It has been five years since it was officially announced that AR glasses are being developed. In 2021, Meta changed its name from Facebook, stating that the metaverse would be the new future. However, the deficit in Meta's metaverse division, Reality Labs, has continued for over three years, leading to recent downsizing of the division. As you can see, sales have declined from 2021 to last year. This raised speculations that Meta might abandon its metaverse business to focus on AI, but this was recently refuted by Oriane. The competition in the global AR smart glasses market, which Meta has entered, is expected to intensify. In fact, there was a time when VR, AR, MR, and other devices were being released in succession, only to fade away briefly. However, with the combination of generative AI, they are beginning to shine again. Just a week before Meta, the American social media company Snap launched its AR smart environment, Spectacles, according to Bloomberg News.

According to reports, Snap is considering integrating Google's multimodal generative AI, Gemini, in addition to its own AI chatbot. Both Google and Apple are key players in the development of smart environments. Google was actually ahead of others when it launched Google Glass in 2013, but it faced significant criticism for privacy violations and ultimately failed to attract consumer interest, leading to its discontinuation after two years. However, reports continue to suggest that development is ongoing. Nevertheless, many believe that the biggest competitor to Meta is undoubtedly Apple. In fact, when Meta unveiled its latest product, Apple’s stock price moved inversely to Meta’s stock price. Apple launched its Vision Pro in February of this year, but it has been struggling with lower-than-expected sales. The Vision Pro was priced at $3,499, and from its launch in February to July, the shipment volume was only 100,000 units.

It is known that Apple has only reached that number. Initially, they expected to sell up to 400,000 units this year, but in the first half, they only managed to sell 100,000 units, which is still far from their target. Originally, there were plans to introduce an AR smart environment like Orion instead of a headset, but development has been delayed, aiming for a release after next year. Recently, a report from Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known Apple expert at Taiwan's TF International Securities, stated that the Vision Pro 2 is scheduled to begin mass production in the second half of next year. It was revealed that Apple's next-generation MacBook chipset, the M5, is expected to be included. Considering that the current Vision Pro is equipped with the M2 chipset, this implies a significant increase in performance. However, it is anticipated that the hardware of the Vision Pro 2 will not differ much from that of the Vision Pro 1. Zuckerberg mentioned that Orion will connect to smartphones.

It was said that this will be the next-generation core computing device, and the key reason is that it will open the true hands-free era. With just eye scrolling and subtle hand movements, you can click. This Orion is already receiving high expectations from the market. The critical point is that the product revealed this time is a prototype, and it remains to be seen how much the consumer-targeted product will be released next year, as well as how many units it will sell. Some foreign media have even predicted that it could cost up to $10,000 per unit, and it seems that many factors will be determined based on the actual price. This concludes our report from Silicon Valley. Thank you for watching.

드디어 공개된 메타의 AR 스마트안경 오라이언… 메타 주가의 구세주 될까ㅣ송영찬의 실리콘밸리나우

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