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✦ The Dispatch

Meta Smart Glasses to Get FDA-Cleared OTC Hearing Aid Feature

A dispatch from Hearing Tracker — filed

Transparent Ray-Ban smart glasses with dark magenta lenses and built-in camera shown at a close-up angle against a light background.
✦ PlateTransparent Ray-Ban smart glasses with dark magenta lenses and built-in camera shown at a close-up angle against a light background.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a screenshot from Meta Connect. Later this year, Meta plans to turn some of its smart glasses into FDA-cleared over-the-counter hearing aids with a $149.99 software upgrade. 4UQoWk?is=LW06-xh9C hDqgnu">Announced by CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta Connect, Hearing Enhancement will personalize amplification for U.S. adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss....

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✦ The floor

Discussion

Signed responses from readers of the wire.

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

No actionable clinical change at this time; the feature has not yet launched, no peer-reviewed performance data exist, and audiologists should monitor whether patients begin self-fitting with this device in lieu of professional care.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

Meta entering the FDA-cleared OTC hearing aid market via consumer smart glasses signals a major convergence of consumer tech and audiology, with potential to reshape patient acquisition pathways and competitive dynamics for hearing care professionals.

✦ Key Points ✦
  1. 01Meta announced an FDA-cleared OTC hearing aid function for its Ray-Ban smart glasses at Meta Connect.
  2. 02The feature will be delivered as a $149.99 software upgrade, not a new hardware purchase.
  3. 03Launch is planned for later in 2025; no clinical performance data have been published.
  4. 04This positions a mass-market consumer wearable directly in the OTC hearing aid space.
  5. 05Audiologists may see patients self-selecting this option before seeking professional evaluation.
✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

The smart glasses hearing aid feature has received FDA clearance as an OTC hearing aid.

press releasepartially supported

The hearing aid upgrade will be available for $149.99.

press releasesupported

The feature will be released later in 2025.

press releasesupported
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