Asia Tech Wire (Sep 27) -- After Meta Platforms Inc. unveiled Orion, its first augmented reality (AR) glasses prototype, on Wednesday, an analyst expects the product to be in actual mass production later than 2027.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities, pointed out in a post on social media platform X that Meta's internal product roadmap suggests mass production of its AR glasses, Orion, in 2027 at the earliest.

He said that no EMS/NPI supplier has been decided yet, and considering the many technical issues, the actual mass production of Orion should be even later.

Kuo expects that before Orion's mass production, Meta may launch a lower specification version (e.g. using LCoS technology instead of Micro LED).

He believes that Meta's strategy is to constantly test and collect market reaction, so as to quickly improve the product, rather than waiting until the product is perfect before releasing it.

"Orion is positioned to replace smartphones and tablets. Its key selling point is the integration of AI and spatial computing," added Kuo.

Apart from Orion, Meta on Wednesday also unveiled its latest virtual reality (VR) headset, the Quest 3S, which starts at $299.