This week has been a bit like watching a row of dominoes fall in slow motion. First in line was Apple’s developer event, which both sidestepped word of Apple’s long-anticipated but unconfirmed headset and left nearly no room for AR news. Then came Alex Kipman’s exit at Microsoft, casting doubt on the future of HoloLens. Now, thanks to a scoop from Sylvia Varnham O’Regan, we know that Meta has shelved plans to sell its Project Nazare AR glasses.
So much for being able to buy Meta-branded AR glasses in 2024, it seems. Back in April when I called that timeline “ambitious” for a consumer AR glasses release, I meant it the same way you’d describe Elon Musk’s projection for when SpaceX will put a person on Mars as ambitious. The reality is Musk’s planned date keeps slipping.