Ray-Ban Meta Audio: smart glasses without the camera controversy
Meta is launching a camera-free version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses after months of fallout over how the camera-equipped models were being used. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio goes up for pre-order on October 13 at $349, with shipping before the end of 2026. It's available in the US and confirmed for 14 European markets including the UK, Germany, France, and Italy — though European pricing hasn't been announced yet.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio — available in Clubmaster and Burbank styles across 23 colour combinations.
The camera problem
The timing is pointed. In March 2026, a class-action lawsuit alleged that Meta misled users with "designed for privacy" messaging while contractors in Kenya were reviewing sensitive footage recorded by Ray-Ban Meta glasses, per Fortune. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office opened its own investigation. Restaurants began turning away customers wearing the glasses. Removing the camera sidesteps the most visible liability — though The National notes that camera-free doesn't solve every concern, since facial recognition risk and CCTV bans in some UK venues still apply to wearables generally.
The glasses
Ray-Ban Meta Audio is built with EssilorLuxottica and comes in two frame styles — Clubmaster and Burbank — across 23 colour combinations. Prescription lenses are supported. The frame weighs 43g, has adjustable temple tips, hinged arms, and swappable nose pads.
Battery life is 12 hours on a single charge, extending to 48 hours with the charging case. The on-board AI assistant is Muse — Meta's agentic AI that can handle tasks like shopping, bookings, and messaging on your behalf. If you've been tracking the Muse rollout, Meta's Muse AI agent was introduced as a $20/month subscription service earlier in September.
Worth it?
At $349, the Audio model sits in the same ballpark as the camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, which runs £299–£379 in the UK. Neither Apple nor Amazon currently offers audio-only smart glasses, so Meta has the niche to itself for now. The trade-off is clear: you get hands-free AI and open-ear audio built into a frame that looks like ordinary eyewear, with none of the recording baggage. Whether that's enough to rebuild trust after the earlier scandal is a different question.
EU pricing and exact ship dates for the UK and other European markets are still unconfirmed at launch.
