Meta reboots smartwatch plan, aims debut in 2026: Report
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Meta has revived its Malibu 2 smartwatch project. The device, set for release later in 2026, will feature health tracking and a built-in Meta AI assistant.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Instagram owner Meta Platforms plans to release its first smartwatch in 2026, tech news platform The Information reported on Feb 18, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The company has revived its Malibu 2 smartwatch project, the report said, adding that the device, set for release later in 2026, will feature health tracking and a built-in Meta AI assistant.
Meta explored a smartwatch roughly five years ago, The Information said, including plans at one point for three-camera-equipped versions, but it shelved the effort in 2022 as a part of broader spending pullbacks in its Reality Labs unit.
Meta declined to comment on the report.
The news signals a big comeback for wearables driven by the artificial intelligence boom, as companies release gadgets imbued with the technology, aimed especially at health and fitness.
AI smart glasses are the breakout, with Meta’s technology powering glasses made by Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica. Shipments climbed to nearly six million units in 2025, according to data from Smart Analytics Global.
The company has about four augmented reality and mixed-reality (MR) glasses in development, the report said, and it is reassessing timelines to ease concerns that launching too many devices in quick succession could confuse customers. In December, Reality Labs employees were told the company had delayed Phoenix, its MR glasses, until 2027, the report said.
In January, Meta said it decided to pause international expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses due to short supply and strong demand in the US. REUTERS
