Ray-Ban Meta Audio launch in the UK from £319 with no camera

Ray-Ban Meta Audio are official, with UK pre-orders starting at £319. Announced at Meta Connect on 23 September, they keep music, calls and spoken access to Meta AI while doing away with the camera. Clubmaster and Burbank frames give buyers two familiar Ray-Ban shapes to choose from.

For someone who likes the idea of an assistant and open-ear audio in their glasses, but has never wanted to take photographs with them, that could be a welcome choice. Meta also promises a lighter frame and longer battery life than its camera-equipped models. We haven’t tested Audio yet, so those advantages still need a proper outing.

Music, calls and Meta AI in Clubmaster and Burbank frames

Ray-Ban lists two open-ear speakers and a six-microphone array, with touch and voice controls. The advertised uses include listening to music and podcasts, taking calls, sending voice messages and asking Meta AI questions. There is no camera and no display in the lenses.

In its launch announcement, Meta says audio has been its glasses’ most popular feature since the beginning. Listening to a podcast while leaving your ears open to the people around you is an appealing everyday use. How well the speakers handle a busy street, and how much other people can hear, are things we’d want to test.

Meta quotes a weight of 43g and describes Audio as its lightest and slimmest AI glasses yet. There are 23 frame-and-lens combinations across the two styles. The fit also gets attention: an optician can adjust the temple tips, Clubmaster have adjustable nose pads and Burbank have swappable ones. Meta says both styles support a wide range of prescriptions, although your particular lenses will still need checking.

The battery claim is up to 12 hours of mixed use

Ray-Ban’s Audio guidance specifies up to 12 hours of mixed use, with the charging case providing up to another 48 hours. That is a higher headline figure than the nine hours advertised for Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, although it doesn’t promise 12 hours of uninterrupted music or calls.

For glasses intended to stay on throughout the day, fewer charging stops could be a substantial benefit. We’d still want to see how the battery fares during a long call, a music-heavy commute and frequent AI requests. The extra charge in the case also requires taking the glasses off; it isn’t a 60-hour battery in the frames.

A camera-free option could be easier to wear around other people

The camera has always been one of Ray-Ban Meta’s most distinctive features, but that doesn’t make it the feature every owner values most. Somebody who mainly wants music, calls and an assistant may have little desire to film anything, particularly if the camera creates awkward conversations at work or among friends.

Audio remove that particular concern: these glasses cannot take a photograph, record video or show Meta AI what the wearer is looking at. People nearby may still need the difference explaining, since recognising a camera-free model at a glance isn’t guaranteed. We’ve explored some of that social awkwardness in our feature on Even G2 and the reaction to camera glasses.

The microphones still deserve attention. A confidential meeting might restrict audio capture or connected assistants as well as cameras, so Audio shouldn’t be assumed acceptable everywhere. Microphones alone don’t establish continuous recording. Meta’s privacy guidance describes activation by voice or button and privacy controls in the Meta AI app; owners should understand those settings and the service they’re speaking to.

Meta hasn’t said Audio were developed in response to recent privacy criticism. We’d welcome the extra choice without reading that into the announcement.

You give up visual assistance as well as photos

For many owners, the camera is a substantial part of the attraction. Hands-free pictures and video can capture moments that might otherwise be missed, while visual AI can help answer questions about what’s in front of the wearer. Our hands-on Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 review covers how those uses fit into everyday life.

There is also a practical accessibility cost. Meta’s work with blind and low-vision users includes reading labels and identifying objects and surroundings through camera-equipped glasses. Audio cannot supply that view to the assistant. Someone who relies on visual help has a very different reason for choosing their glasses from someone who primarily wants music on the way to work.

Camera-free doesn’t always mean the same kind of glasses

Even G2 and RayNeo iO are also camera-free, but both have displays. They can put information in your field of view; Ray-Ban Meta Audio respond through sound. If you want to read text discreetly in a meeting, buying Audio won’t give you that experience.

Within Meta’s own range, Audio now sit alongside camera-equipped Gen 3 and Meta Ray-Ban Display, which add a screen and Neural Band control. The choice begins with what you want the glasses to do, rather than how far up the price list you’re prepared to go.

UK pre-orders and the prices we checked

Ray-Ban’s UK site listed these examples when checked on 24 September:

• Clubmaster, Shiny Black with G15 Green lenses: £319.
• Burbank, Matte Solid Black with Clear Blue-Violet Light Filter lenses, size 51–19: £319.
• Burbank, Matte Black with Clear/Green Graphite Transitions lenses, size 51–19: £399.

Those UK listings showed an estimated delivery date of 20 October. Meta’s global announcement gives a 13 October shipping date, which shouldn’t be substituted for the estimate on your UK order. Prices, availability and delivery can change with the frame, size and lenses; £399 is a Transitions example, not the starting price for all Burbank glasses.

You’ll need a compatible phone, the Meta AI app, a Meta account and wireless internet access. Ray-Ban’s Audio product specification lists iOS 17 or Android 10 as the minimum, while its general FAQ still mentions iOS 14.4. Check your exact phone with Ray-Ban before ordering if you’re using an older device. Its UK pages also warn that voice and AI features depend on country and language, so don’t assume every feature shown in an overseas demonstration is included.