A new device enters the pipeline

According to an internal company memo reviewed by The Information, Meta is actively developing an AI-enabled pendant and intends to begin field testing within the next twelve months. The wearable would mark a significant expansion of the company’s consumer hardware ambitions beyond its existing smart glasses range.

The project appears to draw heavily on technology acquired when Meta purchased Limitless — an AI device startup — at the close of 2025. Limitless had built a compact AI pendant that wearers could clip to clothing or hang around their neck, with the device continuously capturing and processing spoken conversations. At the time of the acquisition, Meta publicly stated it would use the deal to “accelerate our work to build AI-enabled wearables.”

The wearable AI graveyard — and why Meta is pressing on

The road to consumer AI wearables is littered with well-funded failures. Earlier ventures stumbled due to a combination of genuine privacy concerns, poorly pitched marketing, and — frankly — products that struggled to justify their existence in everyday life. Humane’s AI Pin, for instance, was quietly wound down after HP acquired the startup’s assets for $116 million, a fraction of what had been raised.

Despite this track record, major players are not retreating. OpenAI, in collaboration with legendary designer Jony Ive, is reportedly still working through the concept stage of its own AI device — a signal that the industry believes the market breakthrough is a matter of when, not if.

Broader wearable strategy: glasses and workplace subscriptions

The pendant is not Meta’s only hardware move. The same internal memo reportedly outlines plans to extend and diversify the company’s lineup of AI-enabled smart glasses, along with the launch of a dedicated business tier called Wearables for Work — a subscription model targeting enterprise users. This suggests Meta is sizing up both the consumer and B2B wearables markets simultaneously.

The financial pressure behind the hardware push

These product developments come against a challenging financial backdrop for Meta’s hardware division. Reality Labs — the unit responsible for AR, VR, and wearables — recorded losses of $4 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone, continuing a string of heavy losses that have drawn scrutiny from investors.

The ambition behind the pendant and expanded glasses lineup appears to be a deliberate bid to turn those figures around — or at least to demonstrate to investors that the division is building toward a viable commercial future, not simply burning through cash.

What this means for businesses

For business leaders tracking the AI hardware space, Meta’s move is worth watching closely. If the Wearables for Work subscription takes off, it could open up new productivity use cases — ambient meeting transcription, real-time briefing summaries, and hands-free enterprise communication. The Cypriot and broader European business community should begin thinking now about data governance frameworks for always-on AI recording devices in professional settings, as regulatory questions will inevitably follow commercial rollout.

Meta has not yet responded to press requests for comment regarding the pendant programme or its broader wearable ambitions.