Meta unveiled its third-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses at its Connect developer conference on September 23, introducing a camera-free audio variant and a built-in hearing-aid mode to the lineup.

The new models integrate Meta's Muse AI assistant, the same system that powers the company's own-branded glasses released earlier this year. The camera-free Ray-Ban Meta Audio line starts at $349 — a higher entry point than the $299 starting prices of the second-generation Ray-Ban Stories and Meta's own-branded models.

The hearing-aid function puts Meta's hardware in territory long served by hearing-health specialists, a market that opened to consumer electronics makers when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration established an over-the-counter hearing aid category in 2022, allowing such devices to be sold without a prescription, medical exam, or professional fitting.

From Stories to strategy

Meta's smart glasses journey began in 2021 with the original Ray-Ban Stories. The second generation arrived in late 2023, adding a 12-megapixel camera at a $299 price point.

In June 2026, Meta broadened its wearables playbook by launching its own-branded smart glasses under the Adventurer and Fury labels. Those models start at $299, feature a 12-megapixel camera, and ship with Muse capabilities built in, representing Meta's first attempt at selling smart glasses without the Ray-Ban brand halo. With Muse now spanning both brands, the assistant serves as the connective thread across Meta's expanding wearable lineup.

A deepening partnership

Meta's partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the French-Italian conglomerate that owns Ray-Ban, has been running since the original Ray-Ban Stories launch in 2021. EssilorLuxottica contributes manufacturing expertise, global retail distribution, and fashion credibility, while Meta supplies the AI stack, the software platform, and the Muse assistant. The split lets Meta's hardware reach shoppers through an established eyewear supply chain and storefront network rather than a from-scratch retail operation.

A crowded competitive landscape

By expanding from a single product line to at least four distinct models across two brands, Meta is positioning itself to capture as much shelf space as possible. The camera-free audio variant also addresses the privacy concerns that have dogged smart glasses since Google Glass first made people uncomfortable in coffee shops back in 2013. Combined with the hearing-aid mode, the audio-only option extends the lineup to buyers who want audio and assistant features without a camera mounted on the frame.