Meta’s top tech guy, Andrew “Boz” Bosworth – seriously, dude’s like OG with the company, one of the first 15 engineers! – dropped a memo earlier this year. He’s got this vibe that 2025 is either gonna be the golden year for Reality Labs, Meta’s AR/VR playground, or it’ll flop harder than… well, something you’d remember. And now he’s leaning toward greatness. But let’s be real, the market’s got the final say.
“We’ll see how it all shakes out at the end of the decade,” Boz casually mentioned on Bloomberg Technology. He’s sensing the big stuff could happen right now, like 2023 is the year where we’re all, “Yep, this is it.”
Those Ray Ban AI glasses though – kind of a game-changer, right? People are all over them. More than 2 million sold since October 2023. Apparently, last fall, they even outsold old-school Ray Bans, pre-AI jazz. Wild.
Meanwhile, Google’s playing catch-up, teaming with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker on some smart specs using Android XR. Apple wants in on the action too. 2026 is their target, they say.
“Here we are, from tinkering away in the dark to being smack in the spotlight with something everyone’s buzzing about,” Boz mused. “Competitors are waking up, and it’s like, so the timers are set. Whatever we crank out this year? Super crucial. Before or after? Meh, not so much.”
But hey, all the rivals mean zilch if Meta’s AR/VR jazz doesn’t click with peeps. That’s what’ll get the industry to nod their heads and say, “Yup, this is the standard now.”
“The market’s kinda slow with hardware,” Boz pointed out. “Look for sneak peeks. And let’s be honest, you’ve gotta trust in a bit of in-house taste and swagger.”
He learned that from Sheryl Sandberg, Meta’s old COO. Apparently, she said companies flop not ’cause they got dunked on by rivals but because they tripped over their own plans. So Boz has the team zeroed in on sticking to their scripts instead of freaking over competition.
He’s all geeked over their “big dreams” for the year. “By year’s end, we’ll know if we nailed our script,” Boz said. “And in five years? Whether it mattered.”
