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
Malibu 2 reverses Meta’s earlier retreat from a dual-camera watch project, which was halted after two years of development. Related coverage also indicates that, after abandoning that plan, Meta continued pursuing a wrist wearable while confronting manufacturing diversification challenges.
The revival fits a broader device portfolio rather than a single-headset bet: Meta’s later plans for new AI glasses and an AI pendant point to multiple AI-native form factors. A watch would give Meta AI another persistent, body-worn surface, now paired with health features.
First-order effects
- Meta resumes a smartwatch product track and must turn Malibu 2 from a shelved concept into a 2026 launch program spanning hardware, health features and Meta AI.
- Meta AI gains a planned wrist-based interface, extending its intended role beyond Meta’s existing app and device surfaces.
Second-order effects
- The restart puts renewed pressure on Meta’s hardware operations to execute a wearable supply chain, especially given prior reporting on difficulties moving production beyond China.
- A health-focused watch raises the bar for how Meta packages AI across devices: its AI experience will need to be coherent alongside the company’s planned glasses and pendant efforts, not merely added as a feature.
Third-order effects
- If Meta sustains launches across watches, glasses and pendants, its hardware strategy could shift toward a portfolio of specialized AI endpoints rather than reliance on a single immersive-computing category.
- The pattern remains uncertain: Meta’s prior smartwatch halt and premium-headset cancellation show that its device roadmap is still subject to product and execution trade-offs.
The trend: Meta’s wearable push is part of a broader shift toward distributing AI assistants across several lightweight, always-available personal devices.