Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was seen wearing the Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses at an event last year.
Meta has restarted its smartwatch development program, targeting a market launch in 2026. According to two informed sources, Meta Platforms Inc. plans to introduce its first smartwatch that year. This move comes as other technology giants, including Apple, OpenAI, and Google, are also accelerating their plans for new consumer hardware products.
The company has revived a previously shelved smartwatch project, internally known as Malibu 2, with intentions to release it later this year. The product will feature health tracking capabilities and a built-in Meta AI assistant. This watch will position Meta in direct competition with companies like Apple, which has a popular smartwatch series, and Google.
Approximately five years ago, Meta had ambitious plans for smartwatches, including the development of three different versions equipped with cameras. However, the project was canceled in 2022 as part of broader cost-cutting measures within its hardware division, Reality Labs.
Sources indicated that the decision to restart development of the device was made following a strategic meeting held at Zuckerberg's home in Hawaii late last year, where executives mapped out the company's long-term product portfolio.
Meta declined to comment on the matter.
While advancing its smartwatch launch plans, Meta is also working to streamline its broader augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) product roadmap. One source mentioned that Meta currently has approximately four AR/MR glasses in development. Executives are concerned that launching too many devices too quickly could confuse consumers, leading management to reassess the release timeline.
In December of last year, employees in the Reality Labs division were informed that the company had postponed its MR glasses project, codenamed Phoenix, to 2027.
Another source revealed that Meta plans to launch a new generation of its Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses this year, with the new model codenamed Hypernova 2. The first-generation product was released in the US last year, priced at $799, featuring a micro-display embedded in a single lens.
In January of this year, the company announced a pause on its international expansion into the UK, France, Italy, and Canada, citing "unprecedented demand and limited inventory."
Simultaneously, Meta continues to develop consumer-focused AR glasses, codenamed Artemis. According to one source, this product has long been anticipated for a 2027 release.
Artemis will represent a step forward from the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses by adding the capability to display digital content on a single lens. Wearers will be able to make calls using avatars—realistic 3D digital representations that mimic facial expressions and gestures in real-time, the source added. The glasses will also feature Meta's voice-activated AI assistant built-in.
Zuckerberg has repeatedly expressed optimism that AI-powered glasses will define the next era of personal computing. During last year's Connect keynote, he described such glasses as the "ideal form factor for AI." He believes that these devices, evolving from today's smart glasses to future AR products, will become the primary interface for personal AI interactions.
The Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses have also achieved commercial success. Its partner, EssilorLuxottica, reported earlier this month that sales surpassed 7 million units in 2025, a significant increase from the 2 million units sold between its launch in 2023 and the end of 2024.
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