Meta unveiled camera-free smart glasses at its annual Connect device event Sept. 23 amid privacy concerns about the devices.
The new glasses, called Ray-Ban Audio, have the audio capabilities of Meta's camera-equipped models. Meta said they are the lightest smart glasses the company has offered and can last for up to 12 hours on a single charge.
The glasses debuted alongside the camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 line. The new line sees the addition of aviator and cat-eye styles and a new noise reduction system.
Meta launched a new ivory colorway for a model designed by Kylie Jenner and a new collaboration with Blackpink star Lisa. The company also revealed a new model of virtual reality glasses that will be available to consumers in the spring
with a $1299 price tag.
The camera-free glasses will retail for $349 and ship on Oct. 13. The Gen 3 models are currently available and start at $449. The collaboration models start at $399.
The company announced plans to bring its artificial intelligence agent, Muse, to its range of smart glasses. Meta said Muse would become the primary interface for its wearable devices, allowing users to shop, make appointments and complete other tasks through voice commands.
The Silicon Valley giant also unveiled Charm, a device designed to use Muse. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Charm would be available for the holidays but did not state a price.
"We’ve packed a lot of technology with this little guy," Zuckerberg said.
The social media giant is the early leader in the race to put AI devices in customers hands, according to Reuters, with sales of its smart glasses topping over 7 million units last year. That success has made the company the focal point of growing concerns about devices – particularly smart glasses – that work better the more they see and hear, prompting privacy lawsuits and bans at some venues in the United Kingdom.
Analysts raise concerns
Some analysts, however, are doubtful that removing cameras alone will allay privacy concerns about AI devices equipped with microphones.
"Microphones and audio collection could trigger similar concerns, although likely to a lesser degree," Linda Sui, founder of market research firm Smart Analytics Global, told Reuters.
Notably, Zuckerberg did not demonstrate that the camera-free glasses had an indicator that the device was recording. He said that the company is developing private processing for data captured by the glasses, including confidential processing that shields data from Meta.
"This is all about consent," Jitesh Ubrani, director at market research firm IDC, told Reuters. "Meta needs to figure out a way to warn users they are being recorded, even though it just might be audio only."
Losing the camera may also blunt demand as capturing photos and video ranks among the devices' most popular features.
"Consumers may ask why they need smart glasses rather than Bluetooth earbuds if the primary experience is limited to voice interaction, microphones and speakers," Sui said.
Users have previously modified Meta glasses
The company has previously admonished users for modifying their glasses to remove the light that shows the device is recording.
The company implemented an update, announced in July, that disables the camera when it is "physically tampered with or destroyed."
"We made Meta Glasses to be noticed. Before the styles and colors, we designed the light. It signals when the glasses are capturing photos and videos," the company said in an Aug. 27 social media video. "No light, no capture."
Prior to the update, individuals and some small businesses had promoted services to remove the light, USA TODAY previously reported. Without that light, there was not an easy way to know that the glasses are capturing video, making it easier for wearers to record without others realizing.
Meta issued cease-and-desist letters to individuals modifying the smart glasses, spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby previously told USA TODAY. El-Kassaby did not indicate how many letters had been sent.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meta unveils camera-free smart glasses amid privacy concerns
