Meta launches camera-free smart glasses and VR spectacles

Summarised from 9 outlets · 14 reports · Updated 25 Sept, 01:49 · Archive

Meta has unveiled camera-free smart glasses and new virtual reality glasses at its annual Meta Connect conference.

Meta announced several new wearable devices at Meta Connect, including camera-free smart glasses designed to address privacy concerns that have dogged the company's existing smart glasses products. The new glasses will be lighter and offer up to twelve hours of battery life. Meta also launched virtual reality glasses in a lightweight spectacles-style frame with immersive displays for entertainment and work. The company is developing an AI agent called Muse for its smart glasses products, allowing users to activate it by voice to perform tasks such as guiding workouts.

How it is being reported

• Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 vs. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2: How these AI glasses compareMeta's newest smart glasses are an iterative, expensive update.Engadget · 24 Sept, 22:56
• Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3 vs Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2: should you upgrade?Meta has a new pair of smart glasses for your consideration, and here are the upgrades they bring.TechRadar · 24 Sept, 14:54
• The Meta Ray-Ban Lisa smart glasses are the best designed yetBlackPink star Lisa and Meta have debuted new smart glasses that come with a random blind box.TechRadar · 24 Sept, 13:04
• Meta unveils camera-free Ray-Bans after privacy concerns over ‘pervert glasses’Instagram and Facebook parent company also looks to revive the ‘metaverse’ with new augmented reality gogglesIndependent Tech · 24 Sept, 11:43
• They were labelled 'pervert glasses'. Will a camera-free version transform their image?Meta has unveiled audio-only smart glasses, with some questioning whether it is a response to the backlash over privacy.BBC News · 24 Sept, 01:50
• Meta Connect 2026: The 7 biggest announcementsMeta announced a slate of new wearables during its annual Meta Connect showcase on Wednesday. The star of the event was the new Meta VR Glasses, which pack virtual reality tech into a lightweight smart glasses-style frame with a tethered puck. Meta also announced new pairs of screen-free smart glasses, along with some new AI […]The Verge · 24 Sept, 01:00
• Meta debuts no-camera smart glasses and virtual reality spectaclesThe new wearables come at a time of uncertainty for smart glasses, which are facing backlash over privacy concerns Meta announced an advanced new set of virtual reality glasses and a collection of new smart glasses Wednesday, including an audio-only version without a camera. At the firm’s Meta Connect conference in Menlo Park, California, executives said the new Ray-Ban Meta models set new standards for battery life and weight. They said the new glasses with screens in the lenses squeeze capabilities previously reserved for a full headset into a light set of spectacles that rest on a user’s…The Guardian · 24 Sept, 01:00
• Meta is trying VR glasses (again), this time with more IMAXMeta's return to the VR glasses realm comes with a promising combination of light weight form factor and enhanced entertainment options.TechCrunch · 24 Sept, 00:47
• Meta VR Glasses, Ray-Ban Meta Audio, Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3: Specs, Features, PricesAt its Meta Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a handful of new smart glasses, including a slimmed-down VR headset and the company’s first camera-free glasses.Wired · 24 Sept, 00:42
• Meta’s next VR device isn’t a headset — it’s glassesMeta is launching new VR hardware: a pair of glasses. The new Meta VR Glasses sit on your ears like a typical pair of glasses instead of being strapped over your head, but they still have immersive displays for watching movies, playing games, and getting work done. Imagine a pair of hefty black sunglasses with […]The Verge · 24 Sept, 00:42
• Muse is coming to Meta smart glassesJust a couple of weeks after launching Muse, Meta announced that it's "working on" bringing the agent to its smart glasses, including the new glasses it unveiled at Meta Connect. Users will be able to activate Muse from their glasses by saying its name and ask it to handle tasks like guiding a workout, logging […]The Verge · 24 Sept, 00:40
• Meta introduces camera-free AI glassesMeta says the camera-free glasses will be lighter and have up to 12 hours battery life.TechCrunch · 24 Sept, 00:39
• Meta ditches the camera on its newest smart glassesWalking around Meta Connect 2026, everyone's sporting smart glasses in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes. It's a marked difference here, a tech bubble where "pervert glasses" are not a concern. Outside Connect, the public backlash against wearable surveillance tech - a catchall term that encompasses not just smart glasses, but also smartwatches and […]The Verge · 24 Sept, 00:37
• Meta expected to launch camera-free smart glassesMeta's smart glasses have sparked privacy concerns with some users recording people without their knowledge or consent. Now, the company is expected to launch a new pair of spectacles addressing those worries. Mashable tech editor Tim Werth joins CBS News with more.CBS News · 23 Sept, 22:22

In this story: Meta · Ray-Ban · Muse · Menlo Park · California · Mark Zuckerberg

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log