Meta's next smart glasses appear to be on the horizon, with new leaks spilling the beans on its "Celeste" glasses with a heads-up display (HUD) and wristband codenamed "Ceres." Now, a new report details that it's thankfully going to cost a lot less than expected.
Initially, Meta's upcoming smart glasses (also codenamed "Hypernova") were set to go as high as $1,300 to $1,400. That's a steep price, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman now reports that the specs could be around $800 — and that's with the sEMG wristband included in the box.
Compared to the recent $499 Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, the new smart specs now don't seem as pricey for an extra built-in display that's tipped to feature a variety of apps on display (à la Meta Quest 3 and the upcoming Android XR) and touch controls with hand gestures for navigation via the wristbands.
As Gurman notes (via UploadVR), Meta has decided to keep the price down to drive demand. However, the $800 price tag would only be the starting point, as prescription lenses and different styles will bump up the price.
With Meta Connect 2025 set to kick off on September 17, it's believed the Celeste smart glasses will receive their stage to be announced, with pre-orders tipped to drop soon after and shipping to start in October.
Price is key
With this in mind, it won't be long until we find the answer to two key questions: first, if Meta reveals its next-gen Celeste smart glasses, and second, if they will actually cost a much more welcome $800.
With many of the best smart glasses today ranging from $269 to $649, and the latest Viture Luma Pro coming in at $499, the Meta Celeste specs would be pushing the limit even at $800. Still, the addition of a built-in camera, a monocular display in the right-hand lens and an sEMG wristband would boost their capabilities and, more importantly, value.
If they did land at $1,000 or more, we may have another Meta Quest Pro situation on our hands. Pay attention, Meta: anything below quadruple digits is an easier pill to swallow.
That said, with the HUD looking to be similar to what I saw in the Even Realities G1, rather than full spatial computing that we've seen in the Meta Orion glasses, it remains to be seen if consumers will adopt the look and appeal of Meta's next smart specs.
If they even give a small taste of what I found in the Snap Spectacles (which are aimed at developers), then Meta could have a big head start in the race to be the de facto smart glasses brand.
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