At Meta Connect this year, Meta’s smart glasses were impossible to miss. Staff and influencers wore them throughout the event, and most demos centered on the glasses. The author tried several pairs, including two new audio-only models still unreleased.

The first notable product is a new audio-only smart glasses pair with six microphones and no camera, a direct response to criticism that Meta’s camera-equipped glasses could be used for surveillance. These glasses are lighter and more comfortable than other smart glasses, and they focus on entertainment and communication: listening to music, taking calls, and integrating with Muse, Meta’s personal agentic system. Users can speak to Muse to perform tasks like sending emails or reading to-do lists, and the agent can be personalized with digital avatars. The demo revealed limitations—the agent gets confused if you talk to someone else while giving it commands—but the author sees clear utility for hands-free digital assistance.

The second audio-only pair is designed for the hearing impaired. Meta’s research team said it had been in development for about five years. It costs $150, far below typical hearing aids that can run up to $1,600. The glasses amplify a conversation partner’s voice, with switchable modes: focused (zeroing in on the person in front) or omnidirectional (picking up sound from all around). The author tested them with earplugs to simulate hearing loss and found the amplification effective.

Meta is clearly betting on smart glasses as a future platform, but the niche has yet to fully take off. At Connect, Meta cast a wide net, trying to make its glasses stylish, functional, and useful. Whether the rest of the world follows remains to be seen.