Meta unveils VR glasses and camera-free smart glasses at Connect 2026
Meta's Connect 2026 keynote in Menlo Park brought VR glasses in a spectacles-like form factor, the company's first audio-only Ray-Ban smart glasses with no camera, and a Canada launch for the Ray-Ban Display.
Meta has unveiled a new generation of wearables at its Connect 2026 keynote in Menlo Park, California — headlined by VR glasses in a spectacles-like form factor and the company’s first camera-free smart glasses.
The Meta VR Glasses are built from magnesium alloy, run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite chip and are tethered to a pocketable computing puck that carries the battery and processing load, TechCrunch reported. Micro-OLED panels built into the lenses deliver a 5K Infinite Display at 37 pixels per degree, with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. The company calls the device the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR product, and says Disney+ users will be able to stream select films — including some Marvel titles — in 3D from November under a deal with Disney. The glasses are targeted for spring 2027 at a reported $1,299 price point, per MobileSyrup’s hands-on reporting.
Meta also announced the Ray-Ban Meta Audio — its first audio-only smart glasses — launching 13 October for $349, with pre-orders open now. With no camera to accommodate, they weigh 43 grams, the company’s lightest and slimmest pair yet, MobileSyrup reported. They offer hands-free music, calls and AI assistant conversations, rated at 12 hours of battery plus 48 more with the charging case. Meta will also sell a $150 Hearing Enhancement accessibility feature for people who are hard of hearing, or include it in a Meta One subscription.
The announcements land amid a privacy backlash over camera-equipped smart glasses. Meta also confirmed its Ray-Ban Display glasses are launching in Canada at $1,149, after strong US demand delayed the rollout from early this year.
Sources
- TechCrunch — “Meta is trying VR glasses (again), this time with more IMAX” (23 Sept 2026): https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/23/meta-is-trying-vr-glasses-again-this-time-with-more-imax/
- MobileSyrup — “Meta’s new VR glasses are a (pricey) game-changer” (23 Sept 2026): https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/09/23/meta-vr-glasses-hands-on/
- MobileSyrup — “Meta unveils audio-only Ray-Ban smart glasses” (23 Sept 2026): https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/09/23/meta-audio-focused-ray-ban-smart-glasses/
- The Guardian — “Meta debuts no-camera smart glasses and virtual reality spectacles” (23 Sept 2026): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/23/meta-smart-vr-glasses
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