Meta is expanding its AI glasses lineup with a new camera-free model designed for people who want the company’s AI features without putting a camera on their face.
The company unveiled the Ray-Ban Meta Audio at its Connect 2026 conference on Wednesday. Unlike Meta’s existing AI glasses, the new model has no camera, focusing instead on audio features such as music playback, podcasts, phone calls, speech translation and access to Meta’s personal AI assistant, Muse.
The glasses will start at $349 and are being developed with Meta’s long-time hardware partner, EssilorLuxottica.
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Meta Leaves the Camera Out
The decision to remove the camera appears to address one of the biggest concerns surrounding AI-powered glasses.
Meta’s camera-equipped smart glasses have attracted criticism over privacy, particularly because users can discreetly record video in public. Some critics have even given camera-equipped AI glasses unflattering nicknames because of concerns about how the technology could be misused.
Meta previously introduced safeguards intended to make unauthorized recording more difficult, including measures designed to disable the camera if the glasses’ recording indicator was deliberately interfered with.
But the privacy concerns haven’t disappeared.
The new Audio model takes a different route altogether. Without a camera, the glasses cannot capture photos or video, while users still get access to many of the features that make Meta’s wearable platform useful.
Slimmer Design and Longer Battery Life
Removing the cameras and related hardware has allowed Meta and EssilorLuxottica to make the new glasses slimmer than the company’s camera-equipped models.
The glasses weigh about 43 grams and feature adjustable temple tips, replaceable nose pads and hinges designed to accommodate greater movement.
Meta says the battery can last for up to 12 hours on a single charge. The included charging case can extend total battery life to as much as 48 hours.
The glasses will also be available in a wide range of configurations. Meta says buyers will have 23 color and lens combinations to choose from.
Two frame designs will be offered at launch: the retro-inspired Clubmaster and the Burbank, which has a more traditional rectangular shape.
As with Meta’s other glasses, customers will be able to order prescription lenses.
An AI Alternative to Traditional Earbuds
Meta is positioning the Audio glasses as more than a stripped-down version of its existing smart glasses.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested that improvements in audio technology have created an opportunity for an entirely new type of wearable.
The glasses can be used for listening to music and podcasts, taking calls and interacting with Muse. Users can also use them for speech translation and other AI-powered features without needing to take out their phone.
In that sense, the product occupies territory normally associated with wireless earbuds while adding the convenience of a wearable AI assistant.
Meta says preorders for the Ray-Ban Meta Audio will open on October 13.
Meta Also Introduces Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3
The company isn’t abandoning camera-equipped AI glasses.
Alongside the Audio model, Meta announced its next-generation Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses.
The updated lineup will include the familiar Wayfarer design along with two additional styles: the Aviator and Zena. The Zena features a more pronounced cat-eye-inspired shape.
The new glasses include a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 3K Ultra HD video, along with a six-microphone array.
Meta says the Gen 3 glasses can provide up to nine hours of battery life, representing another step in the company’s effort to make AI glasses practical for longer periods of everyday use.
More Styles and International Availability
Meta is also expanding the number of designs and colors available across its existing AI glasses lineup.
The company announced a new partnership with singer Lisa, following an earlier collaboration involving Kylie Jenner.
Meta also said its AI glasses will become available in additional countries, expanding the reach of the platform beyond its existing markets.
All of the company’s AI glasses will also gain access to Muse, Meta’s newer personal AI assistant.
That means users will be able to interact with the assistant through the glasses, extending Muse beyond phones, computers and other devices.
New Features Coming to Meta’s AI Glasses
Meta also outlined several software updates coming to its AI glasses.
Among the planned additions is support for Dolby Atmos Capture, which is designed to improve spatial audio when recording compatible content.
The company is also working on a feature that can select the best image from a series of captured frames. Users will gain more control over whether photos are taken in portrait or landscape orientation.
Other planned features include hearing enhancements aimed at people with hearing loss, more detailed AI responses, additional audio modes and customizable controls.
Meta also previewed a feature called Private Processing. According to the company, the technology is intended to keep certain user data from being visible to Meta itself.
The details of how that system will work in practice will be important, particularly given the privacy concerns that have surrounded camera-equipped AI glasses.
Meta’s Wearable AI Strategy Expands
The Ray-Ban Meta Audio gives Meta a way to bring its AI platform to people who may not want a camera-equipped wearable.
At $349, the glasses remain a premium accessory, but their slimmer design and audio-first approach could appeal to consumers who already use wireless earbuds but want hands-free access to an AI assistant.
At the same time, Meta is continuing to invest in camera-equipped glasses with the Gen 3 models, suggesting that the company sees room for several types of AI wearables rather than a single device category.
With Muse now becoming a common feature across Meta’s hardware lineup, the company’s strategy is increasingly centered on making its AI assistant available wherever users happen to be — whether that’s through a phone, computer, earbuds-style glasses or a camera-equipped wearable.
