What, you thought it would stop at WhatsApp? Meta will be putting some of its AI glasses features behind the company’s Meta One subscription fee. Right now, South Africans only have to deal with WhatsApp and the negligible benefits of giving the social media company thirty bucks a month. Later, though…?
At present, only users in “[the] US, Canada, Australia, Ireland, India, Mexico, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Finland on eligible devices” are likely to find themselves deciding whether a One subscription is worth it.
Meta’s price
The company’s AI glasses are due to get a feature called Conversation Focus. It will use the onboard microphones to amplify the voice of the person you’re talking to. It’s also getting a rate limit. ‘Free’ users will have three hours of conversation boosting a month. Those who subscribe to Meta One will get fifteen hours a month. This… makes very little sense.
The Verge points out that the feature works even when not connected to the internet, suggesting that it runs entirely on-device. Why or how the social media company would want to limit users of what looks like a hardware-based feature hasn’t been explained by Meta. What has been explained is what to do once the rate limit is reached. It’s simple: “[Y]ou can upgrade to a paid…Premium plan, or wait until your free limit refreshes each calendar month.”
A company spokesman, speaking to The Verge, addressed its rate limits and subscription plans, but didn’t explain why they’re needed.
“Most people will use Conversation Focus without hitting the monthly limit. The subscription is for power users who want expanded access and additional benefits like premium device support. Out of the box, you’ll get core AI features like voice assistant, live translation, look and ask, and more. The subscription simply unlocks more access and more powerful features on your AI glasses. Currently, this only includes expanded access to Conversation Focus and premium device support.”
It’s not like Meta hasn’t been planning other sorts of subscription fees, most of which will involve paying for access to the AI features nobody is asking for. It’s interesting to see these launching in real time, however.
