SWEET APPLE
Apple tipped to take on Meta Ray-Bans with brand new mega gadget – and there could be a bizarre change for AirPods too
It all comes as Meta advances with AI Ray-Bans - find out more about them in the video above
APPLE is reportedly plotting more vision-based products and might even put cameras into AirPods.
The iPhone maker recently launched its Apple Vision Pro headset, which became the company's first new major product category since the release of the Apple Watch in 2015.
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But it costs a whooping £3,499 / $3,499 for the base model.
While rival Meta has a competitor in the form of Quest, it's the Meta Ray-Bans that has got everyone talking.
The Mark Zuckerberg-owned social network recently revealed upgrades to his AI smart glasses, so users can do things like speaking other languages and talk aloud to ask questions.
And Apple may be looking to make a product similar, according to Bloomberg.
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The publication claims that Apple is considering its own type of Meta Ray-Bans using some of Apple Vision Pro's tech in 2027.
But even more interesting is that Apple might even launch AirPods with cameras in them too.
It's not the first time we've heard reports of such a product.
In July, it was reported that they may be infrared cameras similar to those used on iPhone for Face ID, as opposed to taking photos.
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The move would come as a way to recoup some of the billions of dollars spent developing Vision Pro’s visual intelligence technology.
We've already seen this happen on the iPhone 16 which has visual intelligence, allowing users to scan the area around them.
Meta hasn't revealed how well its AI Ray-Ban glasses have performed since starting last year.
According to data provider IDC more than 700,000 pairs have been shipped.
THE SUN'S SEAN KEACH TRIES META SPECS
The Sun's Head of Technology and Science had a chance to don the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses at Meta HQ...
I wear glasses every day, so the idea of donning a pair of specs isn't exactly alien to me.
But convincing people with perfectly sharp eyesight to put on a pair of glasses might be a bit of an ask.
Mark Zuckerberg and friends think they've clocked it with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses – serving up enough features for you to consider signing over some of your face real estate to them.
I got a chance to look at probably two dozen different shapes and sizes of glasses, and plenty of them look great.
The only clear downside is that they have a bit of bulk compared to regular glasses, but it's not a huge problem. And especially not if you're buying the sunglasses, where bigger specs feels a bit more palatable.
Anyway once they were on, using Meta AI was extremely easy.
I would just say "Hey Meta" followed by a simple request.
I used it to instantly translate a sign from Spanish to English, to scan a QR code, and to remind me to buy something later.
It was very easy and worked eerily well. It really was like having an AI assistant in my brain.
Once Meta adds the ability for it to analyse video of what you're seeing, as well as live-translate language for you, it's going to be a game-changer.
But I wasn't able to test either of those features just yet.
What I will say is that they feel like a worthwhile buy for gadget fans, even minus those bonus features coming down the line.
And even if you don't use any of the AI stuff, it's quite fun to have a camera on your face. And yes, you can control that with your voice too.
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