Meta Connect puts the company's smart glasses front and center

Meta's annual Connect conference this year was defined by one thing above all: smart glasses. Both company staff and the influencers attending the event were seen wearing the devices almost constantly, and most product demonstrations centered on this hardware category.

Camera-free audio glasses

Among the most notable unreleased products was a new pair of audio-only smart glasses. The device was developed after Meta faced criticism that its camera-equipped glasses could enable covert surveillance. The new glasses feature six microphones but no camera and no way to record surroundings, addressing privacy concerns directly. They are notably lighter than Meta's other glasses models and are designed primarily for listening to music and taking phone calls hands-free.

The glasses will integrate with Muse, Meta's personal AI agent, allowing users to issue verbal commands such as sending emails or reciting to-do lists. Users will also be able to choose from a selection of digital avatars to represent the assistant. During testing, the assistant sometimes had trouble distinguishing between commands directed at it and the wearer's conversation with another person.

Glasses for the hearing impaired

A second model demonstrated was designed for people with hearing loss, a project reportedly in development for roughly five years. Unlike hearing aids, which can cost up to $1,600, these glasses will be priced at $150. They work by amplifying the voice of people nearby, with users able to choose between focused amplification on one speaker or an omnidirectional mode that picks up sound from all directions.

While Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly stated his belief that smart glasses represent the future of computing, the category has yet to achieve mainstream success. Connect made clear that Meta is pursuing a broad strategy, combining style, functionality, and practical use cases in an attempt to succeed where the category has previously struggled.