Will the glasses be etched on your iPhone? What Concepts Will Benefit from the Meta-Publication Meeting in September?

On September 17-18, the global technology community will focus on a significant launch event—Meta Connect 2025. This is not just a routine release but is perceived by the market as the 'iPhone moment' for the AI eyewear sector.

$Meta Platforms(META.US)$ A 'major wearable device release' and 'breakthroughs in metaverse software' are expected. According to market sources, the supply chain has currently entered the mass production and stock preparation phase, with shipments of AI eyewear set to exceed expectations considerably.

Driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence functionalities, the global smart eyewear market is experiencing explosive growth, with Meta currently holding an absolute dominant position (market share exceeding 70%), while new players such as Xiaomi are injecting new vitality into the market.

According to the latest data released by research firm Counterpoint, the global smart eyewear market experienced a year-on-year shipment growth of as much as 110% in the first half of 2025.

The growth momentum in the market is expected to continue into the second half of the year. Counterpoint has revised its forecasts for the smart eyewear market for 2025 and 2026 upward, predicting that the compound annual growth rate of the market will exceed 60% from 2024 to 2029. Analysts believe that technology giants, including Meta and Alibaba, are expected to launch more new products, further driving market expansion.

Having read this, many fellow investors may want to know what highlights to expect from Meta's launch event. Which companies are likely to benefit? The next analysis will address these questions individually.

What highlights can we expect from Meta Connect?

According to a report from Tianfeng Securities, at the beginning of the year, Zuckerberg proclaimed that '2025 is the decisive year for AI eyewear', with approximately 30 models of AI eyewear expected to be launched globally. The highlights of this event can be categorized into hardware and software aspects, specifically:

Key hardware highlights include:

(1) The high-end, thousand-yuan-priced single-lens smart glasses with a screen, Meta Celeste (codename Hypernova). According to known information, one of the core highlights of Meta Celeste is its unique single-eye full-color display, utilizing Lcos+ full-color array waveguide technology. This display is located in the lower right corner of the right lens and is used to display time, weather, notifications, navigation translations, photo previews, and Meta AI text responses (non-voice). Meta Celeste also comes with a matching wristband controller, codenamed "Ceres." The device employs electromyography (EMG) technology, allowing users to control the glasses through gestures, such as rotating the hand and pinching fingers to scroll and select items;

(2) Ray-Ban Meta's third-generation products include myopic frames and aviator sunglasses. According to industry insiders, Meta will officially launch two new Ray-Ban-Meta products this September, codenamed after two cocktails, Aperol and Bellini. Among them, the product with the codename Belini will be officially named Ray-Ban Meta 3 Optical, focusing on myopic frames. Meanwhile, the product with the codename Aperol will be Ray-Ban Meta 3, in the form of aviator sunglasses, still maintaining its sunglasses style;

(3) More professional sports AI glasses, Oakley Meta Sphaera: This product is developed based on the Oakley Sphaera sports eyewear frame, equipped with PRIZM Lens optical technology and a 12 million pixel ultra-wide-angle camera supporting 3K video recording. It also features an IPX4 waterproof rating and open-ear style speakers. This product is positioned for sports scenarios, designed for outdoor activities such as cycling and running, integrating Meta AI interactive features with real-time weather alerts, AR navigation, and other core functionalities. Additionally, the collaboration with Prada focuses on the high-end luxury market. Furthermore, Taiwanese media has reported that Meta is collaborating with domestic manufacturer Huqin to develop a smartwatch equipped with a camera. This smartwatch is said to be able to interact with Quest and subsequent Meta AR glasses, further expanding Meta’s vision of the "metaverse."

On the software front:

Meta has released new generative AI features for its social platform Horizon Worlds desktop editor, including two main tools: "Creator Assistant" and "Style Reference," which will accelerate and simplify the world-building process for creators;

Meta announced the renaming of its Quest software platform to Meta Horizon OS, aiming to create a more open ecosystem for developers. Meta may also be preparing to eventually launch its long-term developed Codec Avatars technology, designed to improve social presence.

Current speculation suggests that Meta may first launch a basic tablet version of Codec Avatars with AI simulated facial tracking functionality, enabling users to conduct WhatsApp and Messenger video calls in a more realistic manner compared to Meta Avatars.

Overall, Meta initially transitions to true AR glasses using Celeste (screened AI glasses) to sidestep the production challenges posed by Orion with material costs exceeding ten thousand dollars; secondly, it revolves around an interactive revolution: replacing controllers with an EMG wristband to address the pain points of AR scene control and establish technological barriers; finally, it lowers barriers for ecosystem development: reducing the cost of metaverse creation through more advanced and open metaverse development software.

Which concept stocks are likely to benefit?

Looking ahead, the AR and AI technologies in smart glasses may merge into a single entity. NiuNiu has compiled a list of AI + AR concept stocks for fellow investors' reference:

Among the equipment manufacturers, in addition to the well-known technology giants, $Apple(AAPL.US)$ 、 $Meta Platforms(META.US)$ 、 $Alphabet-A(GOOGL.US)$ 、 $XIAOMI-W(01810.HK)$ 、 $BIDU-SW(09888.HK)$ 、 $BABA-W(09988.HK)$ there are also:

social media giants, $Snap Inc(SNAP.US)$ which released the fifth-generation Spectacles smart glasses last year, integrating OpenAI's multimodal AI model. Wearers can request AI-generated images as AR filters or interact with Snap's AI chatbot MyAI to obtain information related to objects within their view.

Camera giant $Sony(SONY.US)$ , the company released a teaser video for CES 2025 on YouTube, featuring a pair of smart glasses and a smart pen designed for spatial drawing, indicating that Sony may showcase related new products during CES.

AR smart glasses manufacturer $Vuzix(VUZI.US)$ , the company announced that its latest generation of waveguide and smart glasses reference designs will be unveiled at CES. Notably, the company announced last November that it successfully secured a six-figure dollar order from a U.S. defense contractor for customized waveguide products, aimed at advancing the development and production of lightweight head-up displays (HUDs). This collaboration reinforces Vuzix's market position in the defense sector and provides robust support for its ongoing innovation in XR technologies.

A global leader in new wearable technology and module development and supply $Kopin(KOPN.US)$ , the company has a wide array of coverage in the military AR/VR field, including providing core display technologies for F35 fighter jet helmets, aiming devices, night vision goggles, and more. The company's product line includes various advanced micro-display technologies such as AMLCD, LCoS, MicroOLED, and MicroLED.

The first publicly traded holographic AR company $WiMi Hologram Cloud(WIMI.US)$ , in addition to its self-developed AI + AR holographic glasses, the company has launched multiple innovative products based on AI + AR technology. Currently, Weimi Hologram is also striving to enhance its investment in AR glasses, focusing on issues surrounding AR smart glasses interaction generation, and has laid out prospective application scenarios such as AI-XR digital humans, AI-AR live streaming, AI-metaverse social interactions, and AI-AR digital humans, which are expected to accelerate the company's development across multiple domains in the future.

The first smart glasses to support ChatGPT $Innovative Eyewear(LUCY.US)$ , the company announced as early as 2023 the launch of a smart glasses model, Lucyd Lyte 2.0, which allows users to interact with ChatGPT via a voice interface.

$TCL ELECTRONICS(01070.HK)$ In recent years, the AI glasses series launched by Thunderbird Innovation, especially the Thunderbird V3 AI shooting glasses, has become the focus of the industry.

Solution providers include $NVIDIA(NVDA.US)$ 、 $Himax Technologies(HIMX.US)$ 、 $Microvision(MVIS.US)$ 、 $zSpace(ZSPC.US)$ 、 $LENS(06613.HK)$ ；

Among them, Himax Technologies has developed technology for augmented reality (AR) glasses, including its proprietary "structured light vision" AI technology, which can perform 3D image processing at extremely low power consumption.

Lens Technology has become one of the most sought-after targets due to its "materials + modules + complete machine" full-stack capabilities. Earlier this year, Lens Technology entered into a deep strategic partnership with leading AI interaction company Rokid from Hangzhou. In June of this year, the AI+AR glasses, Rokid Glasses, jointly developed by Lens Technology and Rokid, were officially launched at the Lens Technology base in Xiangtan. Most notably, previous reports indicated that Lens Technology would exclusively supply three core components for Meta's new AI glasses, and these related components are currently in production.

Software providers include $Microsoft(MSFT.US)$ 、 $Autodesk(ADSK.US)$ 、 $Roblox(RBLX.US)$ 、 $PTC Inc(PTC.US)$ 、 、 $Unity Software(U.US)$ 、 $Etsy Inc(ETSY.US)$ 、 $The Glimpse(VRAR.US)$ 、 $Autodesk(ADSK.US)$ ；

The chip includes $Advanced Micro Devices(AMD.US)$ 、 $Qualcomm(QCOM.US)$ 、 $KLA Corp(KLAC.US)$ Electronic components include $Universal Display(OLED.US)$ Haptic technology developers include $Immersion(IMMR.US)$ ；

Cameras include $SUNNY OPTICAL(02382.HK)$ , optical materials include $SICC(02631.HK)$ 、 $CONANTOPTIC-100(02276.HK)$ 。

Additionally, related ETFs in the U.S. stock market include $Roundhill Ball Metaverse ETF(METV.US)$ 、 $ISHARES FUTURE METAVERSE TECH AND COMMUNICATIONS ETF(IVRS.US)$ 、 $PROSHARES METAVERSE ETF(VERS.US)$ / $FIRST TRUST INDXX METAVERSE ETF(ARVR.US)$ And so on.

Overall, the year 2025 presents a critical juncture for the AI glasses market, filled with opportunities and challenges. As "wearable smartphones," AI glasses are being propelled by a triple force of technological, policy, and consumer upgrades.

However, smart eyewear products have not yet fully matured; whether AR glasses or AI glasses, there remain numerous technical issues that must be addressed before the industry truly explodes.