Meta Unveils Muse Charm Handheld and Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses at Connect, Accelerating AI Hardware Push

Meta Platforms (META) announced on September 23, 2026, a handheld AI device, Muse Charm, and its first audio-only smart glasses, expanding its hardware lineup around its Muse assistant. Muse Charm features a 2-inch OLED touchscreen, 5G module and camera, enabling thumb-operated interaction with customizable virtual Muse characters without Wi-Fi. Priced comparably to a smartwatch, it ships in December 2026, pulled forward from an original 2027 target at CEO Mark Zuckerberg's direction. Ray-Ban Meta Audio, weighing 43 grams with up to 12 hours of battery life, starts at $349 with shipments beginning October 13, 2026. The third-generation Ray-Ban Meta, with a 12-megapixel camera, 3K video and six-microphone array, starts at $449. Meta aims to extend Muse across handheld, glasses and VR devices, binding social, shopping and scheduling interactions to wearables. Success hinges on pricing, battery life, privacy indicators and third-party app adoption.