Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glasses

Meta introduced camera‑less Ray‑Ban Meta Audio Glasses at Meta Connect 2026, describing them as audio‑first smart glasses powered by Meta AI. The company said the audio‑only direction was years in development and that two years ago it identified audio as the leading use case for AI in eyewear. By omitting cameras, Meta says it was able to remove electronics from the front frame and redesign the glasses for lighter weight and more conventional aesthetics. The audio models are offered in two frame styles — Clubmaster and Burbank — and come in 23 color and lens combinations with support for a wide prescription range. They start at 43 grams, lighter than the roughly 50g Ray‑Ban Meta Gen 2 and the 69g Meta Ray‑Ban Display, and carry a $349 starting price. Meta estimates about 12 hours of battery life for the camera‑free units, and limits functionality to interacting with Meta AI, taking phone calls, and listening to podcasts or music. Meta emphasized that the audio glasses do not record continuous audio or video; the device listens for a wake word and only begins processing after it detects that prompt. Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of wearables, said the glasses behave similarly to home smart speakers in that respect and that processing becomes visible to the AI only after a wake‑word activation. The company also showed other Ray‑Ban Meta products at the event. The third‑generation Ray‑Ban Meta glasses return a camera and add refinements including a sixth microphone, Dolby Atmos audio capture, and roughly nine hours of battery life; those Gen 3 models start at $449, up from $379 for the prior generation. Separately, Meta Glasses have new styles and celebrity editions: a Kylie Jenner pair and a Blackpink’s Lisa edition each priced at $399, while non‑celebrity Meta Glasses begin at $249.