Sources: Meta has revived a previously shelved smartwatch project, now code-named Malibu 2, and plans to release it in 2026 with health features and Meta AI
Meta Platforms plans to release its first smartwatch in 2026, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Context & Ripple Effects
Meta’s smartwatch effort has already changed course once: the company halted work on a dual-camera smartwatch in 2022, while later reporting indicated it was still pursuing a wrist wearable. Malibu 2 therefore marks a return to a product category Meta had not fully abandoned.
The revival also fits a broader hardware portfolio rather than a standalone device bet. Meta’s subsequent plans for AI glasses, an AI pendant and workplace wearables suggest it is evaluating several ways to put Meta AI into devices used beyond the phone.
First-order effects
- Meta must turn a revived internal project into a 2026 product program, aligning health features and Meta AI around a wrist-based interface.
- The move restores a smartwatch option within Meta’s device lineup after its earlier canceled dual-camera watch program.
Second-order effects
- A smartwatch gives Meta another potential distribution point for Meta AI, alongside its planned glasses and other wearables, making cross-device software consistency more important.
- The renewed program again puts execution pressure on Meta’s hardware operations, which had faced reported difficulty moving manufacturing beyond China while pursuing wrist devices.
Third-order effects
- If Meta brings multiple AI wearables to market, its hardware strategy shifts from isolated headset projects toward a portfolio of form factors organized around persistent AI access.
- The outcome will test whether AI features can provide a durable reason to enter mature wearable categories, rather than serving only as an add-on to existing devices.
The trend: Meta’s Malibu 2 revival is part of a wider push to make AI available through a portfolio of personal wearable devices rather than a single flagship form factor.