Meta expanded its Ray-Ban glasses lineup at Connect 2026 with two new additions: an audio-only model and the third-generation Ray-Ban glasses. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio starts at $349, while the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 starts at $449.
The flagship AI glasses feature a slimmer design and last longer.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio offers a camera-free option
The camera on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses puts many people off due to privacy concerns. Meta is now launching Meta Audio, a camera-free version of its Ray-Ban glasses. It features open-ear speakers for music, calls, and other audio-only tasks.
Thanks to less hardware, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses are the company’s lightest frames yet, weighing only 43 grams. Even better, the battery life gets a big boost, with Meta saying they last up to 12 hours on a single charge. The bundled case provides another 48 hours of runtime.
Photo: Meta
The Ray-Ban Meta Audio will come in two new styles: Clubmaster and Burbank, with 23 color and lens combinations. Both styles support a wide range of optical prescriptions.
Meta is already accepting preorders for the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, with shipping starting October 13, 2026.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 gets longer battery life and a shortcut button
Meta also upgraded its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, with the Gen 3 model featuring a slimmer and more comfortable design. Plus, it gets an action button for quick access to Meta AI.
It also has six microphones that Meta says reduce background noise by more than 90% during calls and voice commands. The 12-megapixel camera records video in 3K Ultra HD for greater clarity, with a built-in LED signaling when the glasses capture photos or video.
Photo: Meta
Despite the slimmer design, battery life gets a boost. Meta says the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses last up to 9 hours on a single charge, one hour longer than the Gen 2.
The Gen 3 glasses come in two new frame shapes: Meta Capri and Meta Nove. Plus, there’s a budget-friendly Meta Adventurer and a limited-edition Meta Fury option, but they will only be available in Meta Lab locations. In total, you can get the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses in 27 color and lens combinations.
Muse comes to Ray-Ban Meta glasses
Besides all the hardware improvements, Meta is bringing Muse, its personal AI agent, to its glasses. That should lead to a notable improvement in everyday experience, as you can get a lot more done with Muse. This includes managing your calendar, handling everyday tasks, and more.
For now, though, Meta has not provided a firm release date for Muse’s debut on its glasses.
Later this year, Meta’s smart glasses with cameras will gain the ability to record videos with Dolby Atmos and 360° spatial sound.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
You can reach out to him at mail[at]rajeshpandey.me.
