Meta unveils camera-free Ray-Ban Audio glasses and a keychain AI companion at Connect 2026

At its annual Meta Connect event, Facebook-parent Meta has announced a major expansion of its consumer hardware portfolio with the launch of new Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and a quirky Muse AI keychain. The new products unveiled highlight Meta’s AI push to embed AI agents into everyday life simply by blending fashion, utility and entertainment. The new Ray-Ban Meta glasses lineup builds on Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica. The glasses now feature deeper AI integration, including voice-controlled access to Meta’s AI assistant, improved audio quality, and enhanced camera capabilities. On the other hand, Meta Muse AI keychain is a pocket-sized device described as “Tamagotchi-like.” The gadget acts as a portable AI agent, offering playful interactions, reminders, and personalized assistance. Meta positioned Muse as a way to make AI more approachable, turning everyday tasks into engaging experiences.Ray-Ban Meta Audio: cameras out, all-day wearability inThe headline hardware announcement was Ray-Ban Meta Audio, Meta's first-ever camera-free smart glasses, developed through its ongoing partnership with EssilorLuxottica. By ditching the camera setup entirely, Meta managed to bring the glasses down to just 43 grams — noticeably lighter than the roughly 50g standard Ray-Ban Meta models and far lighter than the 70g Display glasses — while still packing in hands-free music and podcast playback, calling, and conversations with Meta's AI assistant. The glasses come in Clubmaster and Burbank styles, with customizable temple tips, nose pads, and overextension hinges for a more tailored fit, and support a wide range of optical prescriptions.Battery life is rated at up to 12 hours on a single charge, extendable to roughly 48 additional hours using the included charging case. Ray-Ban Meta Audio launches October 13 at $349, with pre-orders open now.Meta also used the moment to introduce Hearing Enhancement, an FDA-cleared accessibility feature arriving later this year for supported AI glasses. Using the glasses' six-speaker array, the feature is designed to help people who are hard of hearing pick out speech more clearly in noisy environments, letting users adjust left-right audio balance or shift to mono audio in one ear. Meta is pricing it at $149.99 as a one-time purchase, or bundling it into a Meta One subscription, framing it as a notably more affordable alternative to traditional hearing aids, which the company says typically start around $800. A 30-day free trial will also be available.Beyond the audio-only model, Meta also refreshed its standard Ray-Ban Meta line with the Gen 3 glasses, adding a slimmer build, longer battery life, a 12MP camera, and 3K Ultra HD video recording. The company additionally previewed a new hologram calling feature for Ray-Ban Meta Display users, letting someone do a quick self-capture with their phone to generate a hologram visible to whoever they're calling — expected to arrive in early access on WhatsApp in the US within the next few months.Muse Charm: an AI agent you can put on a keychainThe event's true "one more thing" moment came when CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Muse Charm, a small, palm-sized wearable designed to give people another physical way to interact with Muse, Meta's recently launched and increasingly popular personal AI agent.The device houses a tiny screen displaying Jolly, the cute animated avatar Meta has built to represent Muse, and is meant to be carried in a pocket or clipped onto a keychain. Zuckerberg explained that the team condensed the entire Muse experience — including its real-time voice and avatar system — into a device small enough to live on a keychain while remaining constantly available to talk to. A fingerprint sensor built into the corner of the device lets users start a conversation instantly, without needing to unlock a phone or open an app first. For anyone not wearing AI glasses, Zuckerberg positioned Muse Charm as the fastest possible way to talk to Muse and show it what's happening around you.The gadget leans into a distinctly Tamagotchi-like aesthetic — small, personality-driven, and designed to keep users continually engaged with Meta's AI software. Zuckerberg acknowledged the hardware isn't quite ready for release, saying the team still needs to finalize how its internal components are laid out, but confirmed Muse Charm is on track to ship in time for the December holiday season.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.