Meta has unveiled a new generation of wearables, including lightweight virtual reality glasses and camera-free smart spectacles, as it pushes AI-powered devices further into the mainstream while seeking to address privacy concerns.
The announcements were made on Wednesday, 23 September, at Meta’s Connect conference in Menlo Park, California.
Meta’s new virtual reality (VR) glasses weigh around 100g and are designed to look more like oversized spectacles than a traditional headset. The $1,299 device, due to launch in spring 2027, features a 5K microOLED display and responds to eye movements, hand gestures and voice commands.
The processor and battery have been moved into a separate pocket-sized unit, allowing Meta to cut the weight of the glasses.
Mark Zuckerberg described the device as a “breakthrough”, as Meta seeks to compete with heavier and more expensive headsets such as Apple’s Vision Pro.
Meta also introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first smart glasses without a camera. The glasses feature microphones and speakers for music, calls and interactions with Meta’s Muse AI assistant.
They will go on sale on 13 October for £319 ($423), with up to 12 hours of battery life.
The launch comes amid growing criticism of camera-equipped smart glasses, with privacy campaigners raising concerns that people could be recorded without their knowledge.
Removing the camera may ease some of those concerns, but the glasses can still record audio.
“They are addressing some of the privacy issues, but there is still the ability to kind of misuse audio or record audio without consent,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research director at IDC.
“And that is really the key here. This is all about consent.”
Meta said privacy was not the only reason for removing the camera, arguing that audio has been one of the most popular features of its smart glasses.
Meta is also expanding its Muse AI assistant across its range of smart glasses. The company said users will be able to use voice commands to shop, make appointments and complete tasks using AI.
Zuckerberg said Muse would become the “primary interface” for the glasses.
Meta also announced a small handheld device called the Meta Charm, which features a touchscreen and 5G connection and is expected to launch in December.
The announcements underline Meta’s broader push into AI-powered wearables, with the company betting that glasses and other devices could eventually perform some of the functions now handled by smartphones.
However, as wearables become increasingly capable of seeing and hearing the world around their users, concerns over privacy and consent are likely to remain a key challenge for the technology.
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