Audio glasses without a camera: the new open-ear trend

What if the next trend in smart glasses was… to stop filming? Unveiled on 23 September 2026, Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses drop the camera to focus on sound, calls and the Meta AI assistant. They are available notably in the Clubmaster frame, one of Ray-Ban's most iconic styles.

Why remove the camera?

The camera is both the strength and the Achilles heel of smart glasses: it worries part of the public, as the privacy debates of 2026 showed. Without a camera, the question no longer arises: nobody around you wonders whether they are being filmed. These glasses can neither take photos nor record video.

Open-ear audio, genuine comfort

The open-ear speakers play sound close to your ear without blocking it. You listen to music, podcasts or calls while still hearing your surroundings: a real plus for walking in town, cycling or staying available at the office. Meta also highlights the quality of voice pickup during calls, a point that still needs to be confirmed by independent reviews.

Key figures

• Up to 12 hours of quoted battery life, and up to 48 more hours with the case.
• 43 grams, according to The Gadgeteer.
• Many lens options, including prescription lenses, with frame adjustments designed for the optician.

Who is it for?

For those who already wear glasses all day and want to add audio and a voice assistant, without a camera. As a replacement for noise-cancelling earphones on noisy public transport, on the other hand, open-ear audio shows its limits.

Discover the Ray-Ban Meta Audio Clubmaster.

Sources

• The Gadgeteer, «Ray-Ban Meta Audio Drops the Camera but Keeps the Smart Glasses Part», 23 September 2026 – the-gadgeteer.com
• Acuité, «Silmo 2026 : nous avons testé les Ray-Ban Display et les nouvelles Ray-Ban Meta Audio», 26 September 2026 – acuite.fr
• Billboard, «Ray-Ban Meta Creates First Audio-Only Glasses» – billboard.com