Meta is reportedly giving another shot at making a smartwatch. The brand was rumoured to be working on a smartwatch in 2021, but the project dubbed "Maibu" was shelved due to unknown reasons in 2022. Well, new information suggests Meta has dusted off the project and started working on it again.
Meta smartwatch could launch by the end of 2026
According to a report by The Information, Meta is working on a wearable internally dubbed Project Malibu 2 with a potential release targeted for 2026. After the banging success of its Meta glasses lineup, Meta will seemingly place its Meta AI assistant at the core of the smartwatch's experience.
As stated earlier, this isn't Meta's first rodeo, as the brand has previously shelved a similar project following the 2021 mass layoffs. While details are scarce, the smartwatch is expected to focus heavily on health and fitness tracking for real-time translations and contextual wellness insights.
Rumours speculate that the smartwatch could take parts of Meta's latest Neural Band, which is used to control the Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses. If implemented, this could allow the watch to act as THE solution for controlling all the devices in Meta's ecosystem.
Considering most of Meta's products support both Android and iOS, we could expect the smartwatch to be platform-agnostic. If the 2026 timeline holds, we can expect the rumour mill to ramp up significantly in the coming months.
It looks like 2026 will be the year we see devices from AI-first companies. OpenAI could launch earbuds in collaboration with Jony Ive, while Apple is prepping AirPods with cameras, and working on an AI Pendant and AI smart glasses.
Apple also recently bought Q.AI to bolster AI features in its upcoming wearable lineup. More information about all these devices should be unveiled as we inch closer to launch, so stay tuned.
