Alright, folks, let’s talk about Meta and their whole AI game. Now, you don’t need to be a techie to see that the tech industry is going absolutely bonkers for AI these days. But here’s the thing, Meta, formerly known as something else that we won’t mention, has actually been working on AI for a long time. They were ahead of the curve, laying down the foundation for AI before it became this big buzzword. But they made a tactical error by focusing too much on their Metaverse messaging instead of shouting from the rooftops about their AI capabilities. And boy, did that hurt their stock.
But wait, here’s where it gets interesting. OpenAI comes out with their ChatGPT and suddenly, everybody’s jabbering about AI. That’s when Meta decides to shift gears and start talking more about their AI prowess. They did this at their big Meta Connect 2023 event, where they still mentioned the Metaverse, but only briefly. They also threw in a few nods to Apple products and how their XR products are more affordable. But here’s the kicker, folks: Meta’s innovations in the AI arena are what’s really powering their Quest headset, especially with all those recent upgrades. And that’s why they’re cozying up to Qualcomm, the big shot in mobile AI chips. It looks like Meta and Qualcomm are becoming best buddies, so much so that Meta might even ditch their plans to build custom silicon.
Okay, let’s switch gears and talk about the Quest 3. This bad boy is one hell of a headset, with some mind-blowing features. The mixed reality capabilities are a major improvement over its predecessor, the Quest Pro. They’ve got this new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 SoC that’s got double the GPU horsepower and crazy good resolution in each eye. We’re talking a 30% improvement in resolution, people! And they’ve made the whole thing 40% slimmer with a pancake optical system. The only bummer is that there’s no eye-tracking, which is a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Now, brace yourselves for the price. The Quest 3 retails at almost double the price of the Quest 2. Yeah, I know, that’s a hard pill to swallow. So, it’s not gonna sell like hotcakes. Realistically, we’re looking at single-digit millions of units sold compared to the double-digit millions of the Quest 2. It’s gonna take some time for the industry to catch up and start building for higher-end headsets.
Moving on to the Meta Ray-Ban glasses. At first, I wasn’t too impressed with the first-generation Ray-Ban Stories. They didn’t really feel useful, especially during the lockdowns. But hey, they’ve grown on me, and it seems like Meta is committed to making them better. They’ve even got a fancy new name, the Meta Ray-Ban Collection. And they come in all sorts of cool designs, colors, and shapes. Plus, they’ve upgraded the chip to Qualcomm’s AR1 Gen 1 platform, which means better AI capabilities and improved imaging. These glasses are pretty slick, I gotta say.
Oh, and get this, Meta slashed the price of their VR fitness service called Supernatural. They want to expand the user base with the Quest 3, and let me tell you, it’s way cheaper than other digital workout platforms like Peloton or Tonal. So, they’re trying to grow their subscriber base and show some good recurring revenue from apps.
Alright, that’s the lowdown on Meta without actually saying the name Joe Rogan. Can you believe it? They’re making moves in AI, upgrading their headsets, and even dropping the price on their fitness service. It’s an exciting time in the tech world, folks. Stay tuned for more updates. Peace out!
