Meta Platforms Inc has resumed work on a smartwatch project and expects to bring the product to market later this year, according to people close to the effort. Company planners are considering a launch that may precede a forthcoming pair of augmented reality glasses.
The smartwatch concept is not new inside the company. Meta examined the idea as early as 2021 but halted the program in 2022 as part of a broader round of cost-cutting measures. That prior cancellation demonstrates the company has previously paused hardware ambitions when management prioritized expense reductions.
The renewed commitment arrives amid a broader rebound in wearable technology, particularly devices that pair on-device sensors with artificial intelligence features. This trend appears to be informing Meta’s product roadmap and has been cited as a motivating factor for returning to the smartwatch concept.
Meta’s efforts in adjacent wearable categories have shown strong traction. Its AI smartglasses have been characterized as a breakout product over the most recent two-year period, with shipments rising to nearly 6 million units in 2025. Those glasses are manufactured in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the company that makes the Ray-Ban line.
Timing appears to be a coordination consideration for Meta: the smartwatch could be positioned to arrive just before the next generation of augmented reality eyewear. How product sequencing and marketing will be handled has not been disclosed.
For observers tracking hardware strategy at large technology platforms, the restart of the smartwatch program highlights several ongoing themes: continued interest in expanding wearable ecosystems, the interplay between on-device AI and form-factor innovation, and the influence of management discipline on capital allocation for consumer hardware.
Contextual note - Meta’s prior pause in 2022 and the subsequent success of its AI smartglasses are the available signals about how the company has adjusted its wearable ambitions; further details about specifications, pricing, or distribution for the smartwatch were not provided.