Fueled by the generative AI wave, the smartwatch project, once relegated to the sidelines by Meta, seems to have found a new lease on life. (According to The Information website...)Latest reportsIt was pointed out that Meta is preparing to enter another wearable device market later this year, and will launch its first smartwatch.
The reboot, codenamed "Malibu 2," will focus on health tracking features and the built-in Meta AI assistant.
From "detachable lenses" to practical AI platforms
If you recall, Meta explored the possibility of launching a smartwatch back in 2021. Rumors at the time indicated that Meta was developing a smartwatch based on the open-source Android system, and even planned a radical design that included a "detachable screen" and "up to three camera lenses".
However, by 2022, with Meta's core business facing challenges and Reality Labs suffering significant losses, the plan was disrupted by widespread cost-cutting measures.Ruthlessly shelved.
Just this January, Reality Labs laid off more than 1000 employees to stem the financial crisis. At the time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized in an earnings call that Reality Labs' future investment focus would be on "glasses and wearable devices," and the revival of "Malibu 2" is a concrete result of this strategic shift.
"Perfectly integrated" with Ray-Ban smart glasses?
Why did Meta choose to return to this red ocean market, already dominated by brands like Apple Watch, Garmin, Samsung, and Xiaomi, in 2026? The answer may lie in their hugely successful Ray-Ban smart glasses.
Meta's smart glasses, developed in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, have achieved unprecedented success in the market (reportedly shipping nearly 600 million units last year). So strong demand in the US market that Meta was forced to temporarily suspend production of its display-enabled smart glasses last month.Ray-Ban Display Smart GlassesInternational market expansion plan.
Currently, Meta's high-end smart glasses primarily rely on a "neural wristband" for precise gesture control. Market analysts believe that the most reasonable motivation for Meta to launch its own smartwatch is to directly integrate these gesture operations with surface electromyography (EMG) sensing technology into the watch. This would not only provide mainstream health and fitness data tracking but also allow the watch to become an extension of Meta's AI voice assistant, forming a perfect complementary ecosystem with the smart glasses.
Reassessing the hardware timeline: MR glasses delayed until 2027
Although the watch is about to be released, Meta is carefully avoiding "cannibalizing its own product".
The report also indicates that Meta currently has approximately four augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) glasses under development. To avoid consumer confusion caused by releasing multiple new devices in a short period, Meta has reassessed its product roadmap.
Among them, the next-generation mixed reality glasses, internally codenamed "Phoenix," have been confirmed.It has been postponed until 2027..
