Meta is developing a new pair of smart glasses that will not include a camera, and the company could unveil the device at its Connect conference on September 23-24, according to a report by The Information. The glasses, reportedly code-named Luna, could go on sale as early as October.
The report said Luna will come in two designs, called Clubmaster and Burbank. The glasses are expected to include six microphones and built-in speakers directed toward the wearer's ears, along with a dedicated button for quickly launching Meta AI, the company's artificial intelligence assistant.
Why Meta is dropping the camera
Leaving out the camera is meant to be Luna's main point of difference from Meta's current smart glasses lineup. The company's existing camera-equipped models have drawn criticism over the risk of covert filming and privacy violations, even though Meta has already tightened protections on those devices through software updates.
According to The Information, Meta is betting that a camera-free design will attract buyers who are put off by the idea of a built-in camera in smart glasses.
Meta's growing smart glasses lineup
Meta has spent recent years building out a range of smart glasses through its partnership with Ray-Ban, the eyewear brand owned by EssilorLuxottica, and has positioned the devices as a platform for Meta AI. The company recently released Ray-Ban smart glasses designed for people with vision impairment, and it has also added an air-gesture text input feature to its Ray-Ban Display model, letting users type by moving their fingers in the air.
Connect is Meta's annual conference for unveiling new hardware and software, including products for virtual and augmented reality, and the company has used past editions of the event to introduce new smart glasses models.
Meta has not officially confirmed Luna or detailed its specifications. The design, feature set and October launch timing described in this report come from The Information rather than an announcement from Meta itself, so they could still change before any official unveiling.
