Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has reportedly decided to discontinue its development of a headset that was intended to rival Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Vision Pro.
What Happened: The project, internally dubbed La Jolla, was part of Meta's four-year strategy for virtual and mixed-reality headsets. The development of La Jolla, which began in November 2023, was abruptly canceled in mid-August 2024, AppleInsider reported on Saturday.
The decision to abandon the project was made during a product review meeting attended by Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, according to a report by The Information. Bosworth later commented on Threads, stating that many prototypes are in development at all times, but not all make it to production.
"Decisions like this happen all the time, and stories based on chatter about one individual decision will never give the real picture," said Bosworth.
Screenshot of Andrew Bosworth's post on ThreadsSubscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
While the exact reasons for the cancellation are not known, it is speculated that cost issues may have played a part. According to the report, Meta was focused on keeping the cost of the La Jolla headset under $1,000, a target that proved unachievable.
Despite the project's cancellation, sources within Meta suggest that the La Jolla headset could be revived in the future, and technology developed for it may be used in other products, according to the report.
Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Why It Matters: Earlier in the year, Zuckerberg had expressed skepticism about the mainstream success of augmented reality (AR) glasses, particularly those without "full holographic displays," in a subtle jab at Apple Vision Pro.
Furthermore, Meta's CTO Bosworth had also joined the chorus, highlighting several issues with Apple Vision Pro, essentially dismissing the reports about Cupertino's first-generation mixed-reality headset being technologically superior.
Meanwhile, Apple's Vision Pro is reportedly struggling to find its 'killer app' to justify its $3,500 price tag.
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
纳斯达克:meta platforms公司（NASDAQ:META）据报道决定停止开发一款旨在与苹果公司（NASDAQ:AAPL）的Vision Pro竞争的头戴式设备。
事件经过：代号为La Jolla的项目是Meta公司为虚拟和混合现实头戴式设备制定的四年策略的一部分。La Jolla的开发始于2023年11月，但在2024年8月中旬突然被取消，苹果内部人士周六在AppleInsider上报告。
在一次产品审查会议上，Meta的CEO马克·扎克伯格和首席技术官安德鲁·博斯沃斯参加了会议，并决定放弃这个项目，据《信息报》报道。博斯沃斯后来在Threads上评论说，总是有许多原型在研发阶段，但并非所有项目都会投入生产。
博斯沃斯表示：“这样的决定经常发生，关于单个决定的传言永远无法反映真实情况。”
安德鲁·博斯沃斯在Threads上的发帖截图 订阅Benzinga Tech Trends电子报，获取最新技术动态。
虽然取消的确切原因尚不清楚，但有推测称成本问题可能是一个原因。根据报告，Meta公司专注于将La Jolla头戴设备的成本控制在1000美元以下，但这一目标无法实现。
尽管该项目已取消，但meta内部消息人士表示，La Jolla头盔未来可能会复苏，并且为其开发的科技可能会应用于其他产品，根据报道。
Meta尚未立即回应Benzinga的评论请求。
为何重要: 早些时候，扎克伯格对增强现实（AR）眼镜的主流成功表示怀疑，尤其是那些没有“完整全息显示”的眼镜，这是对苹果Vision Pro的轻微讽刺。
此外，meta的CTO博斯沃思也加入了这一行列，强调了苹果Vision Pro的几个问题，实质上是对关于库比蒂诺首款混合现实头盔技术优越性的报道予以否认。
与此同时，据报道，苹果Vision Pro因为无法找到合适的'杀手级应用程序'来证明其3500美元的售价而陷入困境。
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图片来自Shutterstock。
本报道使用Benzinga Neuro生成，并由Kaustubh Bagalkote
