Report: Meta plans smartwatch and Ray-Ban Display 2 for this year
According to reports, Meta intends to launch its previously halted smartwatch after all and is simultaneously reorganizing its roadmap for XR glasses.
Meta is planning new AI-powered wearables and is reportedly looking to expand its own portfolio with a smartwatch.
(Image: mundissima/Shutterstock.com)
Following the success of the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, created in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica, Meta is apparently looking for another wearable with space for its in-house AI. According to a report by The Information, the company plans to introduce its first own smartwatch this year. The project started about five years ago but was discontinued in 2022. In the meantime, three variants with detachable displays and built-in cameras for video calls were planned. Now Meta is said to have resumed development under the codename "Malibu 2".
As is now common, the watch is expected to feature health monitoring functions and have Meta's voice-controlled AI assistant directly integrated. There are no official statements from Meta yet. The report is based on two people who are said to be familiar with the project. The decision to resume development was reportedly made at the end of last year. It remains to be seen whether Meta can assert itself with its own smartwatch alongside Apple, Samsung, and Google.
New plans for Ray-Ban Display 2, "Artemis" and "Phoenix"
In parallel with the watch, Meta is also said to have restructured its plans for AR glasses and smart glasses. A new version of the Ray-Ban Meta Display, internally codenamed "Hypernova 2", is planned for this year. How it will differ from its predecessor is unclear. The first model with an integrated mini-display in the right lens has been exclusively available in the USA since last year, and it is likely to remain so.
Furthermore, Meta continues to work on an AR glasses for the consumer market codenamed „Artemis“. According to an informed source, this is scheduled for 2027. This would mean Meta loses the race for the first consumer AR glasses to Snap, which continues to plan the release of its „Specs“ for 2026. "Artemis" is expected to be able to display digital content and also feature a voice-controlled AI assistant. During phone calls, three-dimensional digital avatars of the conversation partners are to be displayed, replicating facial expressions and gestures in real-time.
Videos by heise
Meta's next mixed reality glasses, on the other hand, are expected to be postponed to 2027. Unlike previous devices like the Meta Quest 3 or Quest Pro, "Phoenix" is intended to have a significantly more compact, glasses-like form factor. This is to be made possible by offloading the computing unit into a pocket computer, similar to Apple's Vision Pro.
(joe)
