Meta's 'Hypernova' smart glasses will cost a lot less than we thought, new report claims

Meta's upcoming smart glasses with a built-in display, codenamed Hypernova, could be cheaper than we initially thought.

In April, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that the company is working on a new type of smart glasses, which will look a lot like a regular pair but equipped with a tiny display that can show photos and apps.

That report claimed the new smart glasses will cost upwards of $1,000 — perhaps as high as $1,300 to $1,400.

But now, Gurman has revised that price significantly, claiming that Meta's glasses, which are expected to launch in September, will be priced from $800.

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"The change stems in part from the company accepting lower margins to boost demand — a common tactic for new products," he wrote on X.

That's a pretty large difference in price, and one that will probably incite many buyers to make the leap into Meta's version of (slightly) mixed reality. For comparison, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which have a built-in camera but no display, start at $299. Meta's own Quest 3 headset, which is a far bulkier mixed reality headset, starts at $499.99. And Apple's Vision Pro, which is an even bulkier, but also far more powerful, mixed reality headset, still starts at $3,499 — though Apple is reportedly working on a cheaper version.

As for what Meta's new smart glasses will be able to do for you, they're reportedly a "deluxe" version of the regular Ray-Ban Metas, with gesture controls and the ability to take and view photos, explore maps, and read notifications from social apps on the built-in display. They're also said to come with an improved camera, a bundled wristband (for gesture controls), and a new carrying case.