Weekly Prompt: Meta eyes athletes with new smart specs and other AR news

Meta aims for athletes with new smart glasses

Meta is expanding its smart glasses lineup with a new model designed specifically for athletes, according to a report by Bloomberg. This follows the company's successful partnership with Ray-Ban on its first generation of smart glasses, now branded "Ray-Ban Meta". The new glasses, based on an Oakley frame, will feature a centrally positioned camera to minimise weight, crucial for athletic performance. They will also provide performance feedback through integrated data tracking. This move suggests Meta aims to broaden the appeal of smart glasses to a wider consumer base.

Beyond this athlete-focused model, Meta is also developing a higher-priced version of the Ray-Ban Meta, featuring a small display for notifications, photos, and simple apps. While not fully augmented reality (AR) enabled, this represents a step towards Meta's goal of releasing fully functional AR glasses by 2027. The company is also exploring other AI-powered devices, such as camera-equipped earbuds and a smart watch, according to the report.

Meta believes smart glasses will eventually surpass smartphones in popularity and practicality. Its commitment to driving down costs underscores its ambition to expand market reach and belief in the transformative potential of AR.

Sources: Bloomberg (behind paywall), Social Media Today, TechCrunch

Additional prompts

Snap boosts AR ecosystem with Creator Rewards and student pricing. Snap has launched a new rewards programme, "Challenge Tags", offering cash prizes for AR creators submitting Lenses based on monthly themes. The first theme is humour, with prizes up to $2,500. A partnership with Lenslist allows global participation. Additionally, Snap has introduced educational pricing for its Spectacles AR glasses, offering students, teachers, and university staff a reduced subscription fee of $49.50 or €55 per month, down from $99. This discounted pricing applies to all countries where Spectacles are sold. These initiatives highlight Snap's ongoing commitment to AR. Read more on TechCrunch

Samsung and Google team up on AR Glasses. Samsung has confirmed its collaboration with Google to develop augmented reality (AR) glasses. The companies will work together to create the glasses and the Android XR operating system, potentially unifying the Android AR ecosystem. While a release timeframe remains unclear, Samsung aims to achieve desired quality and readiness as soon as possible. This partnership extends beyond AR, with Samsung showcasing Google Gemini integration across its Galaxy S25 smartphones. The companies face challenges in developing lightweight, wearable AR devices, with production costs and form factor being key hurdles. Further details are expected in the coming months. Read more on ZDNET

Threads adds scheduling and markup. Threads users can now schedule posts up to 75 days in advance via a new scheduling feature. While replies can't be scheduled, drafted posts can be viewed, edited, or deleted. Additionally, a "markup" feature is being rolled out, allowing users to draw on, highlight, and annotate reshared posts. This feature is currently limited to select countries, with wider availability expected soon. Read more on The Verge

Instagram revamps profile grid and previews new video editing app. Instagram's profile grid now features vertically aligned thumbnails, designed to better showcase vertical content and Reels. The platform is developing tools to customise these thumbnails and reorder grid elements, addressing user concerns about curated grids. A separate Highlights tab and direct-to-grid posting are also planned. Additionally, Instagram is previewing "Edits," a mobile video editing app. "Edits" offers a suite of creative tools, including a timeline editor, effects, trending audio, and high-quality recording. Users can create long videos, save drafts, share with others, and export watermark-free clips. Read more on Social Media Today