Face computers are the future, but the world as we know it isn\u2019t quite ready. That\u2019s the conclusion both Apple and Meta have arrived at. You can see it in the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses<\/a> and the Apple Vision Pro<\/a>. Both fall short of what we imagine true augmented reality ought to be, but that\u2019s not their ultimate purpose. They\u2019re designed to prime the public for the future by giving them a taste of it now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And Meta\u2019s smart glasses do a better job of that so far.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m not saying the Vision Pro is a bad product. I haven\u2019t spent enough time with it, but what time I did spend<\/a> cemented that it is the most technologically impressive mixed reality headset I\u2019ve ever tried. If we\u2019re talking pure hardware innovation<\/a>, the Vision Pro blasts Meta\u2019s smart glasses into the stratosphere. But where Apple threw its formidable resources into building the best possible <\/em>headset with current technology, Meta decided to build cheaper gadgets that people want to use now<\/em>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The sales back me up. Quest 3 sales pushed the Meta\u2019s Reality Labs to record revenue<\/a> last quarter. We didn\u2019t get a breakdown for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but demand and engagement were strong enough that they\u2019re making more<\/a>. <\/strong>Case in point, my wearable skeptic spouse is obsessed with them. They have their own pair now. This nerd went and got a prescription for them, along with transition lenses so they can wear them everywhere. They make a lot of car content like POV driving videos and in their words, these glasses aren\u2019t perfect but they are a game-changer because they\u2019ll never have to strap a GoPro to their head again. Otherwise, it\u2019s a normal pair of stylish Ray-Bans<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s possible their enthusiasm for the Meta glasses may wane. For now, I\u2019m having cognitive whiplash watching my spouse, who has long thought smart glasses are a dumb idea, latch onto these so quickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, there are videos of early adopters<\/a> wearing the Vision Pro out in the real world. They\u2019re goofy. Even if you like the hardware, you can\u2019t help but feel the urge to channel your inner Nelson Muntz<\/a>, point, and laugh. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Apple wasn\u2019t wrong to focus on building the best headset it could. Apple appeals to the masses. Apple building a headset signals to the tech unsavvy that it can be done. Selling it to consumers says it\u2019s already happening. Never mind that these kinds of headsets have been around for a decade. Apple<\/em> is doing it now, and it\u2019s going to be the best<\/em>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n This banks heavily on Apple\u2019s reputation and <\/em>people trusting in it enough to ignore the ludicrous cost of entry. Wow enough people with potential, prowess, and prestige, and they\u2019ll buy into it long enough for you to fix what doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s a few wearable precedents. People thought wearing AirPods was silly at first. I remember people warning they\u2019d get snatched out of ears on the subway. Now everyone on the train wears them. When it launched, the Apple Watch was an overpriced gadget that didn\u2019t know what it was supposed to be. It didn\u2019t find its footing until the Series 3. Now, it\u2019s the most popular smartwatch in the world. Theoretically, the Vision Pro could do the same thing. But despite strong preorders, demand is expected to taper off<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n That said, Meta\u2019s more accessible approach is better for digesting what AR could be. The glasses easily slot into the life you currently lead. Sure, the AI assistant beta was wonky when I tried it, but that\u2019s more a limitation of AI assistants needing hyper-specific prompts<\/a>. Being able to have AI tell you what\u2019s in a picture<\/a> you took with your glasses is useful. It\u2019s more audio than visual AR, but it\u2019s a step toward normalizing using a face computer to interact with real objects in real space. Especially versus the Vision Pro, which currently leans more into virtual and mixed reality. It\u2019s cool to pull up your Mac\u2019s screen and work on the Moon, but that\u2019s not really AR.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And it\u2019s also about seven times the price of the Quest 3<\/a>, Meta\u2019s current answer to the Vision Pro. It\u2019s not as flashy as the Vision Pro, but right now you can do a lot more with it. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was eager to point that out in his impromptu review of Apple\u2019s headset<\/a>. Meta\u2019s strategy is focusing on what you can do now, and doing that gives people a reason to stick around. If they stick around, they\u2019ve inherently bought into your idea of the future. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s too early to say how Apple\u2019s tried-and-true approach will pan out. But a common complaint I\u2019ve seen from Vision Pro buyers is they don\u2019t know what to do with it besides watch movies. It\u2019s also too early to say whether Meta glasses users will stick around long term. (They certainly didn\u2019t for the Ray-Ban Stories<\/a>.) But we do know one thing: at the end of his Vision Pro review, Zuckerberg said the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses sales have far exceeded his hopes. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n