Meta has unveiled a new generation of AI-powered wearables, including camera-free smart glasses designed to address growing privacy concerns over wearable devices capable of secretly recording people.
The audio-only glasses, which will not have cameras or display screens, will launch on October 13 with a starting price of $349. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the products on Wednesday at the company’s annual Connect conference at its Menlo Park headquarters.
The launch comes as smart glasses face increased scrutiny over privacy, particularly concerns about people being photographed or filmed without their knowledge or consent.
“There are almost 2 billion people in the world who wear glasses today,” Zuckerberg said, arguing that a large share of conventional eyewear could eventually be upgraded to AI-enabled glasses.
Meta is positioning the new devices as part of a broader strategy to make artificial intelligence accessible through everyday hardware rather than smartphones and computers. The company also introduced Muse, a new personal AI assistant that Zuckerberg described as the “centerpiece” of Meta’s AI vision.
Camera-free option to Address Privacy Concerns
Meta’s new audio-only glasses retain features such as music playback, phone calls and interaction with an AI assistant but remove the cameras found on the company’s existing smart glasses. The move gives consumers an option for AI-enabled eyewear without the ability to capture photographs or video.
Meta executive Vishal Shah said privacy remains an important consideration as the company expands its wearable products.
He pointed to the recording indicator light on camera-equipped glasses, saying Meta had sought to make it clear when the devices are recording.
“We wanted people to clearly understand that this was something that was recording,” Shah said, adding that the company needs to continue communicating its privacy measures.
Meta’s smart glasses can currently be used to take photographs and videos, make calls, listen to music, translate text and interact with Meta’s AI assistant.
Meta Expands Smart-glasses Portfolio
Meta entered the smart-glasses market in 2021 and has since expanded its partnership with eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica, whose portfolio includes Ray-Ban and Oakley-branded Meta glasses.
The camera-free model will be launched alongside a wider range of smart glasses that retain cameras and other advanced features. The company also unveiled new versions of its flagship Meta Ray-Ban glasses at the Connect event.
Its display-enabled glasses, which can project information onto the user’s field of view, will start at $799 and are set to expand into markets including the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Canada.
Meta is effectively developing a portfolio spanning basic audio AI glasses, camera-equipped smart glasses and more advanced display-enabled devices.
With billions of people using its social-media platforms every month, Meta is betting that glasses could provide another route for consumers to interact with its AI systems. The company’s strategy moves AI beyond conventional chatbot interfaces and into devices that can be worn throughout the day.
$1,299 Meta VR Glasses Coming in 2027
The company announced Meta VR Glasses, a mixed-reality device that is scheduled to launch in spring 2027 for $1,299. Unlike Meta’s earlier Quest headsets, the new device is designed to be substantially lighter. Its battery and memory components will be housed in an external pack connected to the glasses by a cable.
Zuckerberg said the glasses weigh roughly as much as a deck of cards and the device will rely on hand gestures and voice commands rather than external physical controls.
