Meta reveals new smart glasses ahead of Samsung smart glasses debut

Samsung will soon start selling its first smart glasses, called Intelligent Eyewear, in collaboration with Google, Gentle Monster, and Warby Parker. Ahead of their debut, Meta has revealed its first VR glasses and newer-generation smart glasses.

The social media giant has unveiled four new smart glasses: Meta Adventurer Glasses, Ray-Ban Meta Audio, Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), and Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses.

These $249 smart glasses have a 12MP camera, speakers, and microphones. They feature the Meta AI assistant, which can fetch information from the web, answer your questions, see what you are seeing to offer help, provide live recommendations, translate languages in real-time, and perform various tasks.

You can also use them to listen to music, take calls, capture 12MP photos, and record up to 3K video at 30fps. They offer live location sharing and music match. The glasses can last up to 8 hours of mixed usage on a single charge, and with the case, that runtime extends to 40 hours.

They feature 32GB of storage, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4, and are compatible with Android and iOS smartphones.

The Meta Adventurer Glasses have a black frame with gray lenses. They will be available starting October 23, 2026.

The Ray-Ban Meta Audio are Meta's first audio-only smart glasses. They lack an onboard camera, a feature some people might prefer given the privacy concerns associated with standard smart glasses.

They have a slim frame with professionally adjustable temple tips, adjustable or swappable nose pads, and overextension hinges. They weigh just 43g and are available in “Clubmaster” and “Burbank” styles.

These audio-only smart glasses have open-ear speakers, allowing you to listen to audiobooks, music, and podcasts. A 6-microphone array captures your spoken audio clearly for voice calls.

You can also interact with the onboard AI assistant, Meta AI, via voice commands to ask questions, translate conversations, set reminders, and perform other tasks.

These glasses can last up to 12 hours of mixed use on a single charge, and their battery life can extend up to 48 hours with the included charging case. They are compatible with a wide range of prescription lenses as well.

They are priced at $349 in the US and will be available starting October 2026.

The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) glasses are the company's third-generation AI-powered glasses with an onboard camera, microphones, and stereo speakers. They feature a slimmer design compared to the Gen 2 glasses and longer battery life. Meta claims these glasses can last up to 9 hours of mixed use, which is an hour longer than the previous generation.

They have a 12MP front-facing camera that can record up to 3K resolution video at 30fps. They can perform all the tasks the Ray-Ban Meta Audio can, with the added ability to understand a user's surroundings through the camera. This allows you to talk to the Meta AI assistant to get answers to your questions, take calls, translate audio, and perform other tasks.

They come in 27 style combinations across their Aviator, Wayfarer, and Zena (new) styles. The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) are priced at $449 in the US and are already available for pre-order.

Meta has upgraded its Ray-Ban Display Glasses with hands-free navigation, hologram personas for video calls, and notification mirroring from a paired phone. It has also brought new apps and Threads integration to its display-equipped glasses.

In addition to the onboard 12MP camera, microphones, and speakers found on Meta's other smart glasses, the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses have a full-color display (600 x 600 pixels) in one of the lenses. This offers visuals like phone notifications, previews of captured photos and videos, navigation directions, translated text, and video calls.

They can be controlled using a mix of taps, touches, and swipes on the temples of the glasses and the bundled Meta Neural Band (electromyography) that you wear on your wrist.

They can last up to 6 hours of mixed use and up to 24 hours with the provided charging case, which has a built-in battery.

With such a wide collection of smart glasses, ranging from $249 to $799, Meta has a pretty compelling lineup. It has something for everyone.

Samsung faces a steep hill to climb with its first smart glasses. It does have access to the powerful Gemini AI assistant, which is more popular than Meta AI. Moreover, Meta doesn't have a good track record when it comes to user privacy, so people might prefer Samsung's smart glasses.