Meta is expected to launch its “glasses of the future” next month, which it claims will change the rules of the smart glasses market. According to technology websites, the glasses—whose intended audience is still unclear—will display the weather, provide simultaneous translation, and respond to hand gestures via a wristband. The glasses will be called Celeste under the project codename “Hypernova.”
The new glasses will feature a tiny monocular HUD display, meaning a small transparent screen will appear in front of one eye and show essential information in real time. Alongside the glasses will come an advanced wristband using sEMG technology, which reads tiny nerve signals from the muscles in the hand and fingers. This allows users to control the glasses with finger gestures alone, without needing a phone or buttons.
According to leaks, the glasses will allow users to see the time, weather, and notifications, receive step-by-step navigation, display captions and real-time speech translation, and show Meta AI responses as text instead of audio. Additionally, they can be used to frame and preview photos, potentially replacing some smartphone functions in the future.
In terms of weight, the product is slightly heavier than the previous 2023 Ray-Ban Meta model. While that model weighed about 50 grams, the new glasses will weigh around 70 grams due to the added HUD display. However, industry sources note that this difference is not expected to burden users.
In terms of cost, this represents a dramatic change from earlier estimates. Last April, it was reported that Meta planned to market the glasses for more than $1,000, even up to $1,400. However, according to tech journalist Mark Gurman, the company has now decided to lower the price to just $800, even at the cost of lower profitability, to expand its user base. Gurman notes, however, that this is only the base price, and upgrades such as custom optical lenses or different frame designs could raise the cost.
Leaked designs revealed in July also showed the expected look: Files accidentally uploaded to a public Meta server included early renderings showing glasses with clean lines and a modern appearance. One rendering featured an engraving with the name Meta Celeste, removing some of the secrecy surrounding the product’s name.
Meta places great importance on the launch, and according to some reports, employees worked on weekends to meet the target and complete development on time. At the Meta Connect 2025 conference on September 17, the company is expected to officially announce the product, followed by early preorders for shipments that, barring delays, will begin as early as October.
Within the industry, there is debate over whether the combination of a tiny display and finger gesture technology is enough to convince consumers to give up the simple convenience of existing smart glasses. The success of the previous Ray-Ban Meta model came from its fashionable design and accessible price, while the new model, although more expensive, offers much more advanced capabilities.
The key question is whether consumers are willing to adopt a product that on one hand offers innovative features like real-time translation and neural control, but on the other hand costs nearly twice as much as regular smart glasses. At least based on the information circulating so far, it is unclear whether anyone will actually spend $800 on a luxury gadget they could live comfortably without.