Meta plans AI smartwatch launch with new Ray-Ban smart glasses

Key Highlights

  • Meta is preparing to launch a new AI-powered smartwatch, code-named Malibu 2, later this year.
  • The device will debut alongside an upgraded version of Meta’s Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.
  • The smartwatch launch comes ahead of Meta’s delayed mixed reality glasses, Project Phoenix, now expected in 2027.
  • If released, Meta’s smartwatch will compete directly with Apple, Google, Samsung, and other wearables players.

Meta is planning to launch a new smartwatch with health tracking and AI features later this year, according to a report by The Information. The device, internally called Malibu 2, would mark Meta’s return to the smartwatch category after it scrapped earlier plans in 2022 due to rising costs and technical hurdles.

The smartwatch is expected to arrive alongside an updated version of Meta’s Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. This move signals Meta’s renewed push to tighten its hardware ecosystem around AI, wearables, and spatial computing.

Why is Meta returning to smartwatches now?

Meta previously paused its smartwatch ambitions during a period of cost-cutting and restructuring. Since then, the company has sharpened its focus on artificial intelligence and wearable interfaces. The Malibu 2 smartwatch could serve as both a health tracker and a control hub for Meta’s AI-driven devices.

The timing also matters. Apple is reportedly developing AI-powered smart glasses that could launch as early as next year. A Meta smartwatch would help the company strengthen its position before that competition arrives.

How does this fit into Meta’s AR and MR roadmap?

The smartwatch launch is expected to happen before Meta’s mixed reality glasses project, code-named Phoenix. That device has reportedly been delayed until 2027 as Meta works to streamline its AR and MR product strategy.

Last year, Meta introduced its Ray-Ban Display AR glasses, which quickly gained traction. Meta said demand was so strong that it had to pause international expansion due to limited inventory. Those glasses rely on a neural wristband for gesture-based controls. A smartwatch could eventually replace that wristband, simplifying Meta’s wearable setup.

Who will Meta compete with in the smartwatch market?

If Meta launches Malibu 2, it will enter a crowded space. The company will compete for users’ wrist space with Apple, Google, Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit, and others. Each already has a strong foothold in health tracking and smart wearables.

Still, Meta’s advantage could lie in deeper AI integration and tighter links between glasses, watches, and future mixed reality devices.

What this means going forward

Meta’s smartwatch push signals a broader strategy to build an AI-first wearable ecosystem. If successful, the Meta watch could become a key interface between users, AI assistants, and smart glasses. More details are expected closer to launch, as Meta sharpens its hardware ambitions.

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