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At Meta Connect in Menlo Park, Mark Zuckerberg introduced new hardware including Meta VR Glasses, a headset five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3 that resembles goggles rather than a strapped helmet. The company also launched Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a camera-free smart glasses model, alongside a third-generation Ray-Ban Meta and plans to bring its Muse AI agent to the smart glasses platform.
Meta unveiled its first camera-free AI glasses, called Ray-Ban Meta Audio, at its Connect 2026 conference. Made with partner EssilorLuxottica, the audio-only glasses support music, calls, translation and Meta's Muse assistant, weigh 43 grams, and offer up to 12 hours of battery life (48 with the charging case) starting at $349 across 23 color and lens combinations.
Meta has unveiled Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a new smart glasses model that removes the built-in camera found in prior versions and focuses solely on audio features and AI. The glasses support calls, voice-based messaging, music and podcast playback, and Meta AI functions like live translation, and offer up to 12 hours of battery life with 48 more from the charging case.
Meta has introduced a new version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses that drops the camera entirely, offering only audio features. The device keeps the smart glasses form factor while removing the recording capability found in earlier models.
Meta unveiled Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses at its Connect 2026 event, a version of its smart glasses line that includes Meta AI and open-ear audio but omits a camera entirely. The glasses come in two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, and weigh from 43 grams, lighter than Meta's camera-equipped models.
Qualcomm introduced its Sound Elite platform built around a new S3 chip small enough to fit inside earbuds, allowing them to stream Wi-Fi lossless audio without needing a paired phone nearby. The design lets users leave their phone in another room while still receiving uninterrupted high-quality sound.
Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 chip at its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, designed to power a new generation of 'hearables' including earbuds, headphones, audio glasses and other multimodal wearables. The chip is meant to enable features like adaptive sound processing, real-time translation, AI note-taking and combined audio-visual interactions in devices with cameras.
YouTube Music is rolling out two updates: a new AI-audio feature called 'your podcast lineup' that gives spoken previews and reasons for recommended podcasts, and expanded capabilities for its Ask Music assistant, letting users customize their listening queue and get more details about artists. Both features will roll out worldwide soon and are available to regular app users and YouTube Premium subscribers.
Leaker pdfu shared code and video from audioOS 27 revealing a redesigned Siri interface for HomePod, built on the 'Linwood' system that powers Apple's Siri AI. The update includes new status lights in white, blue and orange, matching Siri AI's visual style on other Apple devices, though the feature isn't yet active for users.
Motorola has announced a multi-year deal with Danish audio maker Bang & Olufsen to co-engineer sound hardware for its flagship smartphones. B&O's acoustic engineers will work alongside Motorola's design teams to define, test and tune audio components across upcoming devices, with the first model expected to launch soon in the US and other markets.
PS Audio told customers in January it is ending production of its PMG Signature Audio CD Transport because it can no longer source the optical disc drive mechanism it relies on. Separately, Naim's new Uniti Star Lite streaming amplifier, launched last month, drops the built-in CD player found in the original model because that drive mechanism is no longer manufactured. Neither company has named the specific drive or supplier behind the shortage.
iOS 27 adds a settings option letting users replace the iMessage waveform icon—used to start voice recordings—with a microphone icon for dictation, or remove the button entirely. The change addresses a common complaint about accidentally tapping the button while typing, which triggers a voice recording and stops any playing music. Singer Justin Bieber had drawn attention to the issue in a viral Instagram post criticizing the button's placement.