Key takeaways from Connect 2026
Connect 2026 just occured and Meta was sure to drop some interesting ideas and product updates, all in part to lay out its vision for the future of personal AI. The headline announcement was that Muse, aka the personal AI agent the company launched earlier this month — is coming to Meta's AI glasses in the coming months! Rather than describing what's in front of you to your assistant, Muse will soon be able to see what you're looking at and act on it directly, whether that's a product on a store shelf or a school supply list. Meta also dediced to introduce a more natural voice mode, which lets users hold extended conversations with Muse while it works in the background, plus a standalone email address for the agent so it can complete tasks or be reached directly.
Muse's usefulness is also expanding through a growing list of third-party connectors. Beyond its existing partners and full access to Shopify's catalog, Meta is also adding major retailers such as Walmart, Best Buy, Sephora, Ulta, and Wayfair, along with Shop Pay and PayPal for checkout methods. Travel planning is getting a boost from an upcoming Expedia integration, Instacart is being added for grocery shopping, and productivity tools like Notion, Granola, GitHub, and Box are joining to help Muse handle work tasks, with Meta hinting that more partnerships are still to come. The company also teased "Muse Charm", a small pocket sized companion device built around a real-time voice model, with more details expected later this year.
Meta did not forget about their physical prescene either, as they unveiled Meta VR Glasses, a roughly 100-gram device the company is billing as its most advanced yet, which is seen combining a personal cinema, courtside sports seat, and portable workspace into a single pair of glasses. It's the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR device, with content partnerships spanning Prime Video, YouTube, ESPN, Disney+, and more, plus over 100 immersive live sporting events planned annually through deals with leagues and networks like the NBA, MLB, and UFC. The glasses can also project a private display anywhere and turn any flat surface into a keyboard and touchpad for mobile productivity.
Meta rounded out its AI glasses lineup with several new additions, including Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses, which is a lightweight, earbud-style option for music and hands-free AI access, and a next-generation Ray-Ban Meta with a slimmer design and longer battery life. The company also expanded its style options with new colorways, a Kylie Jenner collaboration, and a debut partnership with LISA, alongside a new FDA cleared hearing enhancement feature rolling out later this year for $149.99. Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses got updates too, including hands-free navigation, a video-call hologram feature, and Dolby Atmos spatial audio capture, alongside expanded availability in the UK, Canada, France, Italy, and Germany.