Meta's next smart glasses might not attract perverts, or anyone else

Meta’s smart glasses seem to be everywhere these days, with their cameras and easily modded LEDs making every moment recordable. With glasses like that, in a design that’s nearly indistinguishable from regular sunglasses, the privacy problems practically write themselves. Well, Meta now seems to be considering a new direction for those who don’t want to be seen as creeps out on the street.

According to a new report from The Information, Meta is considering launching smart glasses that skip the camera and focus instead on audio and AI features. Internally codenamed “Luna,” the glasses will reportedly feature six microphones, letting users chat with Meta AI and the company’s agentic AI, Muse. They could also include a side button to quickly launch Meta AI and could carry forward the same speaker setup we’ve seen on Meta’s existing smart glasses.

Meta hasn’t confirmed the existence of any such smart glasses. However, given the near-constant backlash the company faces from smart-glasses critics, it’s certainly possible it’s now considering a camera-free model. This would also let the company expand its lineup with a more affordable pair of smart glasses for people who don’t really care about having a camera strapped to their face.

Meta recently added a slightly more affordable pair of smart glasses to its lineup, and the “Luna” glasses could be a viable addition. However, it raises the question of why anyone would buy Meta smart glasses without a camera. Meta AI certainly can’t be a reason to buy new hardware, especially since you can use it on your phone. The audio experience would also likely fall far short of what even entry-level in-ear Bluetooth earbuds can offer. It’s also fairly evident that smart glasses without a camera don’t attract enough customers, as there are plenty of camera-free smart glasses already on the market, and none are as popular as Meta’s camera-equipped glasses.

If these camera-free glasses are indeed in the pipeline, Meta could potentially announce them at the Meta Connect event scheduled for September 23.