EssilorLuxottica and Meta Platforms have unveiled a new line of camera-free audio glasses, a third generation of Ray-Ban Meta, and an expanded retail footprint that includes New Zealand. The announcements were made at Meta Connect on 24 September.
The partners said they will offer more than 100 styles of AI glasses by the end of the year.
Audio Takes Centre Stage
The companies said audio is consistently Ray-Ban Meta’s most popular feature, because it delivers high-quality sound without shutting out the wearer’s surroundings. In response, they have introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, their lightest and slimmest AI glasses yet, weighing as little as 43 grams.
The frames are designed for all-day wear, with temple tips that practitioners can adjust, adjustable or swappable nose pads, and overextension hinges. The range launches in two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, both compatible with a wide range of optical prescriptions.
Gen 3 Brings Back The Aviator
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 has a slimmer, more comfortable design, longer battery life, and a customisable action button for instant access to Meta AI. The collection comes in 27 colour and lens combinations. It adds the Aviator, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and Zena, a modern cat-eye shape. The Wayfarer remains, in standard and large sizes.
Meta Glasses with EssilorLuxottica also gains two new styles, Capri and Nova, plus two models designed with the international icon LISA.
Hearing Enhancement And New Features
A United States Food and Drug Administration-cleared software feature called Hearing Enhancement, for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, will arrive later this year. It will be available in the United States only, through a one-time payment or a subscription.
Meta’s personal AI agent, Muse, is also coming to the glasses, again in the United States only. Other additions include:
- Dynamic Photo, Landscape Crop Mode and Dolby Atmos support
- Guided workouts and nutrition features
- Cycling and public transit directions
- ‘Private processing’, which Meta will introduce later this year
