Meta is widening its push into AI-powered hardware with a new handheld device designed around its Muse AI assistant, along with new virtual-reality and audio-only smart glasses.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced the Meta Charm, a small device roughly the size of an Apple AirPods case. It has a 2-inch touchscreen and built-in 5G connectivity. Meta said it will begin shipping in December for the holiday season but did not reveal its price.
“We pack the whole Muse experience, including the whole real-time voice and avatar stack, into something that fits on a keychain and is always available to talk to,” Zuckerberg said at Meta’s annual device event in Menlo Park, California.
The launch comes as technology companies invest billions in AI-powered devices that could eventually reduce reliance on smartphones. The industry is exploring products ranging from smart glasses and wearable pins to handheld AI devices, although it remains unclear which design will achieve mainstream adoption.
Meta has already found traction with its Ray-Ban smart glasses. It also unveiled a virtual-reality device designed to be slimmer than traditional headsets and a new pair of camera-free smart glasses.
Muse becomes central to Meta’s gadgets
Meta is expanding its Muse AI assistant across its smart glasses. New features include computer-use capabilities and integration with services such as Walmart, Best Buy and Gap. Muse will become the main interface for the glasses, allowing users to shop, book appointments and complete tasks through voice commands.
The Meta VR Glasses, priced at $1,299, are designed to compete with devices such as Apple’s Vision Pro. They weigh about 100 grams, with the battery and processor placed in a separate puck. The glasses respond to eye, voice and hand gestures and are scheduled to launch in spring 2027.
“Bringing the weight down to around 100 grams is impressive and could improve the user experience,” said Linda Sui, founder of Smart Analytics Group.
“However, the core use cases remain broadly similar to previous VR headsets. The higher price could also make it difficult to reach mainstream consumers.”
Privacy concerns remain
The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses have no cameras but can still record audio without a clear signal to bystanders. They will ship from October 13 at $349, $100 less than the latest camera-equipped Ray-Ban model.
“They are addressing some of the privacy issues, but there is still the ability to kind of misuse audio or record audio without consent. And that is really the key here. This is all about consent,” said Jitesh Ubrani, director at IDC.
“Meta needs to figure out a way to warn users they are being recorded, even though it just might be audio only.”
Meta said privacy was not the only reason for removing cameras. “Audio has been our most popular feature since day one because our glasses give you high-quality sound without closing you off from the world around you,” it said.
The camera-free design also makes the glasses thinner, supports new Clubmaster and Burbank styles and extends battery life to 12 hours, compared with 9 hours on the latest 3rd-generation Ray-Ban glasses.
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