The company already incorporates AI into its Ray-Ban smart glasses, but is currently testing a new earphone that comes with both a camera and AI, citing people who claim to know the company's plans. The camera and earphones can see and hear what is happening around the user, and the AI is baked to identify objects or translate languages depending on the source.
However, there is still a lot to do. According to the report, Meta has not yet decided whether to turn the earbuds into earbuds or over-the-ear accessories, and while those who have decided on the final design of the device are looking at the prototype, they are still not satisfied with what they are seeing.
It gets worse. In addition to design problems, the project, internally called Camerabuds, faces headwinds as engineers face problems trying to mount cameras and batteries on small things like earbuds. In addition, some employees say that their hair is getting in the way of the camera lens, and they fear that the battery will make their ears too hot.
Some of the meta believe that the earbuds could eventually make a way to store shelves in some way, but it is very likely that they will not launch at all.
There is continued competition in the hardware market for devices with AI. It includes the ability to get information about your surroundings as you walk around town, better direction, and improved communication with others, but at least so far, AI-based hardware has been difficult to get off the ground.
Indeed, earlier this year, the humane Ai pin was supposed to storm the AI hardware market. However, after a rash of startup problems and some users complaining about its functionality, it has disappeared. The same applies to other companies looking to build AI devices like Rabbit R1, which is being panned by reviewers.
For its part, Meta has been competing in the hardware market for years, thanks to its Meta Quest mixed reality headset. And while that and its huge cash reserves could give Meta the advantage of AI hardware, reports of information suggest that startups are facing many of the same problems they are dealing with when building their own AI hardware.
Nor does it help that Meta has been here before. According to this information, Meta was working with earphones in 2019, but after facing too many obstacles to get the device off the ground, it shattered the idea.
Meta, of course, has not commented on the obvious earphone plans this time. But if the information reports are accurate, don't expect to hear a lot about future AI-based earphones until some key issues are resolved.
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