Meta's camera-free Ray-Ban glasses ship Oct. 13 starting at $349
Meta's new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, which drop the camera, go on sale Oct. 13 starting at $349. They play music and podcasts, handle calls and answer questions using Meta AI. Meta is pitching them partly to people worried about privacy.
Meta is betting that some people want smart glasses without a camera. Its new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses ship on Oct. 13, starting at $349 in the U.S., the company said. Tom's Guide and Billboard also reported the price and date.
The glasses use small open-ear speakers in the frames, so wearers can listen to music and podcasts, take calls and talk to Meta's AI assistant without earbuds. Battery life is up to 12 hours, Meta says. Two styles are offered: Clubmaster, starting at $349, and Burbank, at $429, according to Billboard.
The missing camera is the point. Earlier Ray-Ban Meta glasses can take photos and video, which raised privacy worries in places like gyms, schools and offices. Tom's Guide described the audio model as an attempt to ease those concerns. Without a camera, the glasses look and act more like regular sunglasses with headphones built in.
Meta announced the glasses at its Connect event in September, along with other styles. Meta now offers more than 100 frame and lens combinations, Android Central reported.
Some background: Meta first teamed up with eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica, which owns Ray-Ban, in 2021. Sales of the camera glasses have grown quickly, making them one of the few hit products in the smart-glasses market. Rivals including Google, Apple and Amazon are also working on glasses.
Smart glasses are part of a bigger race to find the next device after the smartphone. Meta sees AI assistants as the key, because talking to an AI is easier with something you wear all day.
The glasses will be sold through Meta, Ray-Ban and other retailers. Prescription lenses cost extra.
What we know: Ray-Ban Meta Audio ships Oct. 13 starting at $349, with no camera.
What we don't: Whether shoppers will choose audio-only glasses over camera models.
Where outlets agree Meta and Tom's Guide both report that Ray-Ban Meta Audio drops the camera and ships Oct. 13, starting at $349.
Where they differ Meta says the audio model eases privacy concerns, while some reviewers question whether people will pay for glasses that do less than the camera versions.