Smart glasses without a camera
New York - AFP - Mark Zuckerberg, head of Meta, unveiled in California a pair of smart glasses without cameras, focusing on audio and artificial intelligence, amid growing criticism of models that can record passersby without their knowledge.
Speaking at the annual Meta Connect event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Zuckerberg said, “Without cameras, it opens up a lot of new possibilities in design,” praising the glasses as “lighter and thinner” and featuring “the longest battery life” in the lineup, without addressing the criticism directed at the camera.
Meta holds approximately 84 percent of the smart glasses market, with 8.7 million pairs sold worldwide in 2025, according to research firm Omdia, compared to more than one billion smartphones.
Its rival Google, in collaboration with Samsung, is expected to launch its first model this fall.
This is particularly the case in Europe. French courts are investigating videos of women filmed on the streets without their consent, while Oslo has banned their use in schools.
Vishal Shah, vice president of AI products at Meta, told AFP that the light indicator, which is supposed to alert others that the camera is recording, has become “more visible” over time, adding, “This is not a change in our position” regarding recording.
The company also announced the launch of its glasses with a display embedded in the lens in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, and France, where they will be sold at a starting price of 899 euros.
Zuckerberg presented the glasses as the primary device for “Muse,” noting that the company has “redirected” its efforts toward “personal superintelligence,” at the expense of the metaverse, which had previously been its main focus.
Meta also revealed its upcoming virtual reality-based glasses, which weigh approximately 100 grams, less than one-fifth the weight of the Quest 3 headset, which connects to an external unit.
Zuckerberg said the company will “produce fewer virtual reality-based devices.”
