Meta Releases Audio-Only Meta Glasses

Meta announces three new pairs of smart glasses, including an audio-only, AI-interactive version—and they’ll only set you back $349.

Meta has announced three new pairs of smart glasses, unveiled during the company’s Meta Connect conference on Wednesday. Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off the new devices, which include the Facebook parent’s first Meta VR Glasses, the third generation of its Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and the sound-only Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses.

The Meta VR Glasses provide virtual reality capabilities in a standard-looking glasses design (rather than the usual bulky headset associated with VR). The company claims that this model is five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3 headset, and this difference is noticeable. It also features a 5K display for watching shows and movies, playing games, and productivity.

The glasses give you two screens, so there are external cameras enabling you to see the world around you while wearing them. Interestingly, the device’s battery, storage, and computing components live in a separate, dedicated puck that tethers to the glasses.

This functionality ensures that the glasses are light enough to wear for long periods while still maintaining the capability of a full-sized VR headset. However, they’ll run you $1,299 for that much power in such a comparatively sleek design.

The most intriguing pair of glasses out of the three might actually be the audio-only offering. Since it has no cameras, it eliminates one of the primary concerns that critics have with Meta’s smart glasses: users being able to record people without their knowledge.

Without any cameras, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio smart glasses look even more like a standard pair of glasses than their premium 5K display cousin, and the price is more agreeable too. At only $349, the Meta Audio glasses seem a lot more attractive to a potential buyer who just wants audio and AI capabilities without breaking the bank.

The final pair of smart glasses Zuckerberg unveiled are the third generation of the company’s flagship Rey-Ban Meta smart glasses. Like the audio-only smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses allow you to listen to music without headphones and chat with Meta’s AI—this time, provided by the company’s latest model, Muse. The audio-only version also comes with the Muse AI agent.

The third-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses will start at $449, promising a longer battery life and improved microphones over the previous model. There’s also a new line of Meta Glasses, which are separate from the Ray-Ban Meta glasses; these start at $249.

Meta has become the world leader in smart glasses and accounts for 68.7% of all shipments of such devices in Q2 2026, according to the International Data Corporation.

However, Samsung and Google are set to introduce their own smart glasses later this year, collaborating with companies such as Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, which could pose a major challenge to Meta. Apple is also reportedly working on its own smart glasses, which Bloomberg says will launch late next year.