At its Connect 2026 conference on Wednesday, Meta unveiled its first camera-free AI glasses, officially called the Ray-Ban Meta Audio—a name that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. The announcement confirmed earlier reports about the device.

These new glasses are a direct response to the backlash surrounding AI glasses, which critics dubbed "pervert glasses" due to concerns about malicious uses. By going audio-only, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio aims to sidestep those issues entirely. The glasses let wearers listen to music and podcasts, make calls, translate speech, and interact with Meta's AI assistant, Muse.

EssilorLuxottica, Meta's partner in its AI hardware ventures, designed the glasses, which start at $349. While Meta already sells a range of AI glasses in various styles, colors, and capabilities, this audio-only version could help the brand recover from reputational harm. Critics had pointed out how people—often men—were using AI glasses to record videos without consent. Meta tried to address this with an update that disables the camera if the recording indicator LED is tampered with, but the creepy factor lingered. This latest device might prove more popular for that very reason, while also offering a counter to products like Apple's Siri-powered AirPods.

"Once you get used to high quality audio, it's just a thing that you want all the time, right," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a Wednesday keynote. He added that after working on the idea, the company realized it could design an entirely new category of glasses centered around audio.

Without cameras to house, the glasses are slimmer than Meta's other models and weigh just 43 grams. They feature adjustable temple tips, swappable nose pads, overextension hinges, and up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, according to Meta. With the included charging case, that extends to as much as 48 hours. They come in 23 color and lens combinations across two new styles: a retro-inspired "Clubmaster" Ray-Ban design and "Burbank," described as a more "classic, timeless, rectangle shape." Like other Meta glasses, they can be ordered with an optical prescription if needed. Preorders begin October 13, the company said.

Alongside the audio glasses, Meta announced its next-generation AI glasses with cameras, the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3). In addition to the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer, two new styles will be available: the Aviator and Zena, the latter offering a cat-eye frame shape. These feature a 12 MP camera supporting 3K Ultra HD video, a six-mic array, and up to nine hours of battery life.

The glasses Meta launched with EssilorLuxottica will also see an expanded lineup of styles and colors, plus a new partnership with singer Lisa, following the company's earlier brand collaboration with Kylie Jenner. Meta said the glasses will roll out to more countries globally as well.

All of Meta's AI glasses will of course include access to its newer personal AI assistant, Muse. The company also teased other upcoming updates, including support for Dolby Atmos Capture, a feature that selects the best photo from multiple frames, an option to choose landscape or portrait modes, hearing enhancements for those with hearing loss, more detailed responses, different audio modes, customizable controls, and something called "private processing" that Meta claims will prevent the company from seeing your data.