Meta’s Answer to the ‘Meta Creep’? Camera-Free Smart Glasses

Comment
LoaderSave StorySave this story
Comment
LoaderSave StorySave this story

After months of controversy about the privacy of its smart glasses, Meta has unveiled the next iteration of its product lineup. At its Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced all the new glasses the company is putting out into the world.

Its popular Meta Ray-Ban glasses are now in their third generation, but two new models steal the show: a powerful, slimmed-down version of Meta's Quest headsets capable of virtual and augmented reality modes, and a camera-free pair of Ray-Ban–branded smart glasses, called Ray-Ban Meta Audio. Meta is also bringing its Muse AI agent to its smart glasses platform.

Meta VR Glasses

The next evolution of Meta’s Quest VR headset is something truly different. Instead of a heavy helmet-like headset, the new Meta VR Glasses look like big goggles. They’re five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3. They sit on the nose, right in front of your face like glasses, with no headstrap needed.

They look and feel more like the virtual display glasses made by companies like Viture, and what Xreal’s Project Aura seems to be shaping up to be—lightweight mixed-reality lenses that let you access virtual spaces without the burden of a VR headset.

There are no included controllers, though the device can connect to Meta’s previous Quest controllers or gamepads like an Xbox controller. Instead, the wearer controls the device with hand movements and finger pinches, similar to Android XR and Apple’s Vision Pro. Eye tracking pinpoints what you’re trying to access. You can pinch with two fingers to open an app or interact with something on the screen. Form a fist and flick your thumb up or down to scroll the screen.

Inside, the lenses feature a 5K micro-OLED display with a resolution of 2412 x 2288 pixels per eye. The computing power is offloaded to an attached compute puck, which also houses the battery.

Small prescription lens inserts can be magnetically clipped inside the lenses. (Meta has not shared how much those will cost.)

The software is the same that runs on Meta’s Quest VR devices, so movie and game titles in the Quest ecosystem will work on the VR Glasses. That includes games like Beat Saber, live sports apps, and streaming services like Disney+. There are digital workspace modes that let you have multiple monitor screens around you. The VR Glasses can also display a virtual keyboard on a surface in front of you, then use the embedded cameras to track specific finger placements.

The only immediate downside compared to other VR headsets—at least that I could tell from a brief demo at Meta Connect—is that the VR glasses don’t cover your entire field of vision, so it doesn’t feel as immersive as a traditional VR headset.

Meta says the VR Glasses cost $1,300 and will ship in the spring of 2027.

Ray-Ban Meta Audio

Meta has spent the past few months being absolutely pummeled by controversy about the privacy issues inherent in its camera-enabled smart glasses. The solution? A pair of smart glasses with no cameras.

The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses have all the audio capabilities of a standard pair of Meta’s smart glasses, minus image and video capture. At 43 grams, they’re also lighter than the others. They have better battery life—12 hours on a single charge and up to 48 hours with the included charging case.

They come in 23 different color and style options, including the retro Ray-Ban Clubmaster frame and a more rectangular Burbank. The Audio glasses cost $349 and are available for preorder now. They start shipping on October 10.

Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3

Meta's flagship line of smart glasses is getting a “Gen 3” upgrade. They have 12-MP cameras, like last year, plus 3K Dolby Atmos–enabled video capture. The glasses will get up to nine hours of battery life, two more than their predecessors. A new six-microphone array offers better sound and can cut out background noise more easily.

A new hearing aid feature called Hearing Enhancement uses the speakers in Meta's glasses to enhance speech and audio around the wearer, similar to the Nuance glasses from EssilorLuxottica.

Earlier this summer, Meta debuted smart glasses under its own branding, which cost a little less but were functionally identical to the Ray-Ban models. Now, it is already following them up with Gen 3 versions. These Meta-branded glasses come in a cat-eye shape called Capri and a rounder lens called Nova.

The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses start at $449. Special-edition aviator glasses are $579. There are also additional models with colors and styles designed in collaboration with Kylie Jenner and rapper Lisa. (They come with optional charms.) They're available now. The Meta-branded Gen 3 glasses are also on sale now for $299.

Muse Charm

For folks who don't wear glasses, Meta has teased a new product altogether: the Muse Charm. Zuckerberg says it's the “fastest way to talk to your Muse,” referring to the company's AI agent, and show it the world around you. That likely means it has a camera on the back. Zuckerberg says Meta still needs to finalize the hardware, but plans to have it ready by the holiday season.

Meta Ray-Ban Display

Meta's Display glasses are also getting some updates. With the implementation of Meta AI, users can create photorealistic holograms of their faces, which can be helpful for video calls. There are better cycling options and improved navigation apps.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.