Meta Showcases $150 Audio-Only Smart Glasses as Muse AI Expands at Connect
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 26
Meta Showcases $150 Audio-Only Smart Glasses as Muse AI Expands at Connect
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 26
Summary
Meta used Connect to spotlight unreleased audio-only smart glasses, including a hearing-assistance model priced at $150 and a camera-free version aimed at everyday calls, music and AI use.
Six microphones replace cameras on the main audio-only pair, a design meant to blunt privacy concerns around Meta’s camera-equipped glasses while still enabling voice commands and hands-free communication.
Muse, Meta’s agentic AI system, is being integrated into the glasses so wearers can speak commands to send emails, recite to-do lists and answer questions, though the demo showed it can still be confused by overlapping conversation.
The hearing-focused glasses, developed over about five years, amplify nearby voices and switch between focused and omnidirectional modes, targeting a market where hearing aids can cost up to $1,600.
Connect underscored Meta’s broader bet that smart glasses can move beyond a niche if they become lighter, more useful and tailored to distinct needs such as privacy, productivity and accessibility.