(Image credit: Warby Parker/Gentle Monster)
Happening at the same time as Meta Connect, but about 2,400 west, is the annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawai’i. Our managing editor for computing, Jason England, really took one for the team and flew out to the conference.
While there, it was just announced that Google’s Intelligent Eyewear would run on Snapdragon’s AR1 Gen 1 chipset, which itself was announced in June 2025. Will Meta’s glasses use the same chip?
Jason also interviewed Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm’s SVP and GM of XR, who defended smart glasses in general, attributing the backlash to the newness of the technology.
2026-09-23T20:05:03.171Z
Meet Muse
(Image credit: Future)
Central to all of Meta’s hardware is its recently announced Muse AI, a new agentic AI that can do a number of things on your behalf, such as making calendar appointments, setting reservations, and even buying things. Our AI editor Amanda Caswell has a good rundown of what Muse AI can do, but it’s already run into some controversy, as Amazon has prevented it from crawling its site to shop there for you.
We guarantee we’ll hear more about what Muse does in Meta’s smart glasses at the event.
2026-09-23T19:42:54.097Z
No Vanguard updates?
(Image credit: Future)
While the Meta Ray-Ban Displays were the highlight of last year’s Meta Connect, we actually found the Oakley Meta Vanguard smart glasses to be our favorite pair. We took them sledding, skiing, running, and biking, and really liked their look, the videos they took, and the novel feature where it creates a highlight reel synced to your Garmin watch activity.
We’re not expecting any new updates to the Vanguards this year, though; as it’s a more niche product than the general Ray-Ban Meta glasses, we suspect it’ll be another year before we see a new version.
2026-09-23T19:22:35.799Z
Pass the hors d’oeuvres
(Image credit: Future)
Our own Scott Younker is at Meta Connect, and prior to the keynote, is sampling some of the appetizers being passed around. This little cake, shaped to look like an apple, was surprisingly mild. “I was hoping for more apple flavor,” he said.
2026-09-23T18:40:14.182Z
Photos from the show
(Image credit: Future)
We’re running around the show and capturing photos of the festivities. It’s a busy time, but we’re ready to make sure you feel like you’re there! Stay tuned for the in-person photos as they come in.
2026-09-23T18:08:29.749Z
What about the Snap Specs?
(Image credit: Future)
The Snap Specs, which have been called a “new type of computer,” loom large against Meta Connect 2026. They’re doing exactly what Project Phoenix promises to do, but at a very high $2,195 starting price.
Will Meta be able to undercut the high-end Specs with its AR/VR device? Only time will tell, but there’s a good chance we might learn something today at Meta Connect 2026.
Other Smart Glasses “End Up Being Creepy…” | Snapchat CEO on Smart Glasses – YouTube
2026-09-23T17:43:07.171Z
Project Phoenix
(Image credit: Luna Yian)
Are you excited to see Project Phoenix? I sure am!
I’ve never been fully onboard with virtual reality as a concept — the headsets are just too big to be practical for my life. This hybrid device that seems to fall somewhere between AR and VR looks to be right up my alley, though.
We’re not 100% sure Meta will completely spill the beans on the device at Connect 2026, bit we expect at least some sort of tease for the new piece of tech.
2026-09-23T17:04:11.837Z
The market seems happy
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
As of this post, Meta stock has increased by $15.64 (2.12%), a sizable bump. That may indicate the market expects whatever is officially announced today to be positive for the company. However, the company’s new Muse AI agent is more likely the main catalyst for today’s increase.
Whatever the reason, the company needs to live up to investors’ hopes with its keynote today, and I hope it has more than just camera-free glasses to announce.
2026-09-23T16:10:01.443Z
Your thoughts on Smart Glasses?
(Image credit: Meta)
We know Meta is one of the leaders in the smart glasses space and we expect the company to cement that position today with its camera-free model. But we want to know: what do you think about smart glasses overall?
Hit the poll below and let your voice be heard!
2026-09-23T15:34:07.365Z
Where are Samsung’s smart glasses?
Waaaayyyy back in May, we got our first hands-on with Samsung’s new smart glasses, powered by Google’s Android XR platform. At the time, the company said that the glasses would come out this fall. We know it’s only the second day of the season, but we haven’t heard a peep from the company since then on the release date.
2026-09-23T14:27:24.020Z
How Apple handles privacy
The privacy backlash was certainly not lost on Apple, which went out of its way to explain the protections with the Apple Watch Series 12′s new Audio Intelligence features, Live Rewind and Siri Recap. In both instances, the watch doesn’t keep a recording of the audio, nor does it transcribe word-for-word what was said; rather, it creates a summary.
Is this the best approach when it comes to always-listening wearable devices? Let us know in the comments.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Snap)
CEOs of other tech companies have also taken turns throwing shade at Meta’s offerings, even if their comments do seem somewhat self-serving.
Back in July, Even Realities CEO Will Wang, whose glasses lack both cameras and speakers, called out both Meta and Google, saying “Adding a camera onto a pair of glasses definitely introduces many more downsides than upsides.” His argument was that one of the end goals for both companies’ wearables was to gather data for AI training purposes.
We also interviewed Snap CEO Evan Spiegel in September, who said that smart glasses disguised as normal eyewear are “creepy.” However, it should be acknowledged that the new Snap Specs are significantly larger than other smart glasses on the market.
And, in September, OpenAI’s Sam Altman was quoted as saying “I find it very uncomfortable talking to people with a camera and a light.” Of course, his company is also developing an AI wearable of its own, which will most likely be a form factor other than glasses.
2026-09-23T12:58:18.891Z
We’re there!
(Image credit: Meta)
We have members of the team live and in-person at Meta Connect 2026, so we can bring you all the news from the event and provide any potential hands-on impressions.
Keep your eyes locked to the live blog and we’ll bring you all the news and information as quickly as we can.
2026-09-23T12:35:21.688Z
No camera?
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
One of the biggest expected rumors coming into Meta Connect is the camera-free smart glasses. As I’ve mentioned in the past, the only reason I use my Meta glasses is to take photos during golf rounds and vacations without having to pull my phone out of my pocket all the time. Without that, I can’t see myself using them.
However, for those who primarily use the glasses for interacting with the AI and listening to music, it could be a great option.
Obviously, Meta is trying to address the “pervert glasses” concerns we’ve heard a lot about with this new model. And offering a camera-free pair might take some of the heat off the company; if it’s still selling pairs with glasses (which we fully expect it to), then it’s sure to have issues still.
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
If there’s been a common thread among 2026 tech launches, it’s price hikes thanks to the worldwide shortage of memory. Meta is part of that problem, of course, since it’s trying just as hard to win the AI race as Google, Microsoft or OpenAI. But it’ll be interesting to see if that has a knock-on effect on device costs.
We’ve already seen a price hike for the second generation of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses so if we do see a new version alongside a second-gen version of the Oakley Meta glasses, don’t be surprised if they land with an inflated price tag.
(Image credit: Warby Parker/Gentle Monster)
While there are many other smart glasses on the market, the first real challenger to Meta could be the Google-powered Intelligent Eyewear, which were announced in July at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked. Tom’s Guide’s Mark Spoonauer was able to go hands-on with the Galaxy Glasses, and came away impressed — so much so that he said he’d pick them over the Ray-Ban Metas.
We also had a chance to interview Justin Payne, who leads the product management team for XR at Google, where he detailed how the company has been assiduously studying the missteps of its competitors.
However, despite Samsung’s tease in May that the glasses would be released this fall, we haven’t heard anything since July — could the smart glasses backlash have them rethinking things?
2026-09-23T10:47:43.829Z
Developer sessions
(Image credit: Meta)
While the keynote led by Mark Zuckerberg is undoubtedly the highlight of Meta Connect, the two-day conference does play host to a number of developer sessions on Thursday, Sept. 24. Things kick off on the second day with a developer state of the union at 10 a.m. PT, followed by sessions covering VR, AI glasses, AI, and Horizon, Meta’s metaverse social platform.
You can find the list of developer sessions at https://www.meta.com/connect/agenda/, though there aren’t any specific times listed for each session.
(Image credit: Future)
Each Meta Connect has unveiled a new pair, or pairs of smart glasses; last year, we got the Ray-Ban Meta (gen 2), the Meta Ray-Ban Display, and the Oakley Meta Vanguard. With the expected announcement of the audio-only glasses and the VR ones, we anticipate that we might only see small announcements around other models.
There is a rumor that there will be the Ray-Ban Meta (gen 3) smart glasses, which should have a new chipset that brings with it longer battery life with some new styles. According to some leaked images, one pair even looks like the classic Aviator-style.
2026-09-23T10:02:25.864Z
Privacy concerns
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
One of the biggest things we’re curious about is how Zuckerberg plans to address the privacy concerns around smart glasses. Earlier this year, numerous reports came out showing how people were modifying Meta glasses to block or disable the recording light, and a rash of videos taken on Meta’s glasses depicted harassment of women.
Meta did issue firmware updates to prevent wearers from blocking the recording light, and it did ban a number of Instagram accounts, but the moniker “pervert glasses” has stuck to them and pretty much every other pair of smart glasses that can record video.
However, Meta did not help its cause by filing for a patent that would use AI and facial recognition to automatically identify the people around you. This news came just days after the previous announcement, which was unfortunate timing, to say the least.
2026-09-23T09:51:46.198Z
Project Phoenix
(Image credit: Luna Yian)
Perhaps the most ambitious announcement today could be that for Project Phoenix, Meta’s rumored mixed-reality glasses. This device, which might look something like the Viture Beast or something from XReal, would have two small displays that would project an immersive view — though not quite as immersive as the Meta Quest 3 — was rumored to launch in 2027, but it looks like that timeline might have been pushed up.
2026-09-23T09:33:45.655Z
More on Muse AI
(Image credit: Future)
While Muse AI, Meta’s new personal AI assistant, isn’t exactly new, we expect that the company will reveal more about what it can do, especially in conjunction with Meta’s smart glasses.
Our AI editor, Amanda Caswell, took Muse AI for a spin when it launched in early September; unlike other chatbots, it can “open websites, fill out forms and negotiate on your behalf. It can book travel, send emails and make purchases.”
That last bit can be a bit unnerving, especially to those who have their doubts about Meta in general. However, Muse connects to Stripe’s Link payment system, so you’re not handing over your credit card information to Muse itself.
2026-09-23T09:19:14.946Z
Camera-free smart glasses
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
Perhaps the biggest announcement we expect out of Meta Connect are a pair of camera-free smart glasses. According to the rumors, the audio-only “Luna” smart glasses won’t be able to record photos or take photos.
Given that Meta has taken a lot of fire for not doing more to prevent perverts from recording people without their consent, this model could prove popular for those who want smart glasses, but don’t want to be considered creepy.
2026-09-23T09:15:08.227Z
Welcome!
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Welcome to our 2026 Meta Connect live blog. We’ll be following all the build-up to Meta’s annual event, covering what we expect to see, all the details on timings and how to watch Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote.
It’s going to be a big day for fans of smart glasses, and there’s sure to be some interesting takeaways — especially when it comes to privacy. Stay tuned!
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