Meta unveils third generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses with AI assistant and hearing-aid mode

Meta just dropped its third-generation Ray-Ban smart glasses at the Connect conference on September 23, and the lineup comes with a twist: a camera-free audio variant and a built-in hearing-aid mode. 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. From Stories to strategy Meta’s smart glasses journey started in 2021 with the original Ray-Ban Stories. The second generation arrived in late 2023 with a 12-megapixel camera and a $299 price tag. Meta’s broadening wearables playbook In June 2026, Meta launched its own-branded smart glasses under the Adventurer and Fury labels, starting at $299 with a 12 MP camera and Muse capabilities baked in. Those models represented Meta’s first attempt at selling smart glasses without the Ray-Ban brand halo. 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 brings manufacturing expertise, global retail distribution, and fashion credibility. Meta brings the AI stack, the software...