At Meta Connect, the company’s smart glasses were everywhere
techcrunch.com Sep 26, 2026

At Meta Connect, the company’s smart glasses were everywhere

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Meta dominated its Connect conference with a parade of smart‑glasses prototypes, signaling the company’s full commitment to wearable AI. Attendees, staff and influencers all wore the devices, and most demos required them. Among the highlights were unreleased audio‑only glasses that replace cameras with six microphones, addressing recent privacy criticism. The lightweight frames let users stream music, take calls and interact with Meta’s upcoming Muse personal agent, which can execute tasks and answer questions via voice. A second variant targets the hearing‑impaired, offering selectable focused or omnidirectional amplification at an estimated $150 price, far below typical hearing‑aid costs. Meta’s research team said development spanned five years, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that smart glasses represent the next computing platform.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · By swapping cameras for microphones, Meta directly tackles the privacy backlash that has stalled wearables, while the affordable hearing‑aid glasses open a massive, underserved market, giving the firm a realistic path to mainstream adoption.