Meta’s new Hypernova AR glasses could launch next month, may cost as much as iPhone 17
Meta is looking to launch its first-ever smart glasses with a display next month, and we now have the first leaks about the price of the upcoming product. As per a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new glasses, which are being dubbed ‘Hypernova’ internally, will now have a lower starting point compared to the $1000 price tag earlier expected.
Notably, Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses cost around $200–$400, but during the development of its new model, Meta had planned to charge at least $1000 for Hypernova, with some discussions even considering a price as high as $1400.
Meta’s earlier pricing would have meant that the new smart glasses cost even more than the iPhone 16 base and Plus variants. However, the tech giant is now said to have found a way to cut down the pricing of its smart glasses to around $800.
The supposed reduction in starting price is being attributed to Meta’s willingness to accept lower margins in order to boost demand for its new product. Gurman, however, warns that different styling options and prescription lenses could still push the price up steeply.
The new Hypernova glasses are a precursor to full-blown augmented reality glasses, with the upcoming product likely to feature a small screen for mini apps and alerts on the right lens, while also being controllable via a neural wrist accessory — the same one last seen with Meta’s Orion AR prototypes.
How will Hypernova AR glasses work?
Gurman has previously detailed that the AR glasses will show a boot screen when starting, with logos for Meta and its partners like Qualcomm.
On the home screen, users will see circular icons laid out horizontally, similar to the layout seen on Apple devices or Meta’s Quest mixed reality headset.
The glasses are also likely to come with dedicated apps for taking pictures, viewing them and accessing maps. There could also be support for notifications from phone apps, including Meta’s own suite of apps like Messenger and WhatsApp.
Similar to other Meta devices, the new glasses are said to run on a highly customised version of Android, though there isn’t expected to be any app store on them yet.
