Meta Puts Muse AI Agent on Glasses as Connect 2026 Brings Camera-Free Ray-Bans, VR Glasses and Muse Charm

Meta said Muse, launched in early September, will let users speak to their glasses to book appointments, check flight prices, track down items, guide personalized workouts, log meals and provide nutritional insights. The agent activates with a wake word, works in the background and checks back when finished, according to Engadget and TechCrunch. Muse asks for permission before sensitive actions such as purchases, and users can choose which outside services it can access and revoke those connections at any time. Meta is also developing new Muse capabilities: a digital avatar for real-time video chats, a Mac integration that lets the agent operate desktop apps, its own email address, and shopping partnerships with Stripe, Shopify, PayPal, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Walmart, Wayfair, Expedia and others, TechCrunch reported. Zuckerberg said Meta will make Muse free for a large number of tokens and expects to take a small fee from transactions over time.

Meta introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first camera-free smart glasses, starting at $349 and shipping October 13. The audio-only model supports music and podcast playback, calls, live translation and Muse, and Meta says it runs up to 12 hours on a charge. The Verge reported that the glasses weigh about 43 grams, come in Clubmaster and Burbank styles with 23 color and lens combinations, and are designed to address privacy concerns around camera-equipped wearables. Alex Himel, Meta's vice president of wearables, told The Verge that the audio-only product had been in development for years and that the glasses do not record; they listen only for a wake word.

Meta also refreshed its camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta glasses with a third-generation model that starts at $449 and is available now. The new version has a slimmer design, up to nine hours of battery life, a customizable action button, a 12-megapixel camera and 3K video recording, according to 9to5Mac. The Verge reported additions including a sixth microphone, Dolby Atmos capture and 27 color and lens combinations.

The company's biggest hardware bet at Connect was Meta VR Glasses, a roughly 100-gram virtual reality device that Meta says is five times lighter than the Quest 3. The glasses use magnesium alloy frames, micro-OLED panels with a 5K Infinite Display, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and are powered by a pocketable puck containing Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, battery and storage. Meta calls them the first IMAX Enhanced-certified VR device and says they will support 3D movies, holographic avatars for video calls, hand and eye tracking, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Windows and Mac use, and 75 games at launch. They will go on sale in spring 2027 for $1,299.99, CNBC and TechCrunch reported.

Meta also announced the Muse Charm, a palm-sized device built around the Muse agent. It has a roughly 2-inch OLED touchscreen with a customizable Muse character, front and rear cameras, speakers, microphones, 5G and USB-C. Bloomberg reported that the cameras are mainly intended to give Muse visual context rather than serve as traditional cameras. Meta plans to begin selling the Charm in December but has not announced a price; Bloomberg reported it is expected to cost roughly as much as a smartwatch. Zuckerberg said the device is meant to let people talk to Muse without unlocking a phone or opening an app.

Meta expanded its lower-cost Meta Glasses lineup with Capri and Nova styles, a collection designed with LISA, a $249 Meta Adventurer model, a limited-edition Meta Fury and a new ivory colorway for its Kylie Jenner collaboration. Engadget reported that Meta also announced a hearing assistance feature for its glasses, updates to Beat Saber and new entertainment content for the VR ecosystem. The Muse app has risen to the No. 1 spot on both the U.S. App Store and Google Play since launching earlier this month, according to 9to5Mac.

Meta's camera-equipped glasses have faced growing scrutiny over privacy and ethics, and the audio-only Ray-Ban Meta Audio arrives as backlash against wearable surveillance tech continues. Meta said the timing was not a response to that criticism, according to The Verge.