Meta’s smartwatch is back in development: What we know so far

Meta may be planning to enter the smartwatch market. The company is said to have restarted work on its smartwatch and could bring it to market later this year. It would be a return to a project Meta had earlier put on hold. Meta has not made anything official yet, but reports indicate that development has resumed internally. Also Read: WhatsApp may soon let users add a password to their accounts

Smartwatch project back in motion

The smartwatch is reportedly being developed under the internal codename “Malibu 2.” As per The Information, the device is expected to include health tracking features along with built-in Meta AI integration. Also Read: Apple’s next devices could be AI smart glasses and AI pendant: What we know

This is not Meta’s first attempt at a wrist-worn device. The company had been working on a smartwatch several years ago, with early prototypes said to include multiple cameras. That effort was dropped in 2022 as part of broader cost-cutting measures within Meta’s Reality Labs division. Also Read: Why is this country banning WhatsApp? Here’s what’s happening

The latest report suggests the company has decided to revisit the idea, this time with a clearer focus on health tracking and AI-driven features.

Part of a larger wearables strategy

Meta’s smartwatch is said to fit into a wider ecosystem of wearable devices. The company has already found some success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. Shipments of those glasses reportedly reached close to six million units last year, based on industry estimates.

According to The Information, the smartwatch could work alongside future versions of Meta’s smart glasses. Earlier internal concepts involved using wrist-based input to control glasses, and it is possible that the watch could play a role in that broader strategy.

At the same time, Meta is reportedly reassessing timelines for some of its other augmented and mixed-reality devices. A mixed-reality glasses project known internally as Phoenix has been pushed back to 2027, as the company looks to space out product launches.

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Entering a crowded market

If the watch does arrive this year, Meta will step into a market that already includes established players such as Apple, Samsung and Google. Based on current reports, the device is likely to focus on health features and Meta AI integration, rather than relying only on hardware to stand out.