Meta Platforms is reportedly developing an AI-powered pendant that it plans to begin testing within the next year, marking the company’s next major push into wearable hardware as it seeks to revive its struggling Reality Labs division.
According to an internal memo reviewed by The Information, Meta is charting a roadmap for wearable devices designed to reverse losses in its hardware sector. The memo, authored by Alex Himel, Meta’s vice-president of wearables, outlines plans to test the AI pendant next year and significantly expand its selection of AI-powered glasses.
A Personal AI Assistant for Daily Life
The AI pendant is designed to function as a personal assistant that records and transcribes conversations in real time, then generates searchable transcripts and summaries of daily interactions. The device aims to help users boost productivity by capturing workplace discussions, meetings, and personal conversations without requiring manual note-taking.
“Meta’s AI pendant builds on its 2025 acquisition of Limitless, a startup known for its clip-on devices that record conversations and generate searchable transcripts,” the report stated. “The pendant is said to act as a personal AI assistant, summarising daily interactions and also boosting productivity.”
Testing of the device is slated to begin later this year, with wider commercial rollout expected to follow if early trials succeed.
Wearables for Work: A Business Subscription Service
Beyond the pendant itself, Meta is planning to introduce a subscription-based service called “Wearables for Work,” targeted specifically at enterprise adoption. The service would allow businesses to deploy AI-powered wearables across their workforce for productivity tracking, meeting documentation, and real-time transcription services.
The move represents a strategic pivot toward enterprise customers, a segment that has lagged behind consumer adoption in Meta’s wearable strategy so far. Industry analysts suggest that targeting businesses could provide a more stable revenue stream than consumer-focused hardware alone.
Reality Labs Under Pressure
The AI pendant development comes amid significant financial pressure on Meta’s Reality Labs division, which reported losses of $4 billion in the last quarter alone. The division, responsible for the company’s augmented reality and virtual reality hardware including the Meta Quest VR headsets and AI glasses has struggled to gain traction despite heavy investment.
Meta’s acquisition of Limitless in late 2025 signaled the company’s intent to accelerate its AI wearable initiatives. A Meta representative expressed enthusiasm about the partnership at the time, stating, “We’re thrilled that Limitless will be joining Meta to help expedite our efforts in developing AI-enabled wearables.”
Limitless is known for its compact, AI-driven pendant that captures conversations and produces summaries, technology that Meta now plans to integrate into its own hardware line.
Smart Glasses Expansion Alongside Pendant
The internal memo also reveals plans to significantly expand Meta’s selection of AI-powered glasses alongside the pendant launch. Meta has been advancing in the smart glasses market, with multiple new models expected to enter testing and commercial production over the coming year.
The company’s AI glasses have already begun appearing in limited consumer markets, offering features like real-time transcription, voice commands, and integration with Meta’s AI assistant. The expanded lineup would likely include variants optimized for different use cases, from workplace productivity to personal entertainment.
Industry Reaction and Market Expectations
The news of Meta’s AI pendant has drawn attention from hardware analysts and competitors alike. The wearable AI market has attracted significant investment in recent months, with companies including Google, Apple, and start-ups like Limitless racing to develop devices that combine conversation recording, transcription, and AI summarization.
Some analysts view Meta’s move as a logical extension of its AI strategy. The company has invested heavily in AI infrastructure and models over the past two years, integrating AI features across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The pendant would represent a physical embodiment of that strategy, bringing AI capabilities directly into users’ daily environments.
However, the success of the device will depend on factors including battery life, privacy protections, price, and user adoption. Conversation recording devices have faced scrutiny over privacy concerns, and Meta will need to address those worries clearly if the pendant gains widespread acceptance.
What Comes Next
Meta has not officially confirmed the AI pendant’s development or provided a timeline for public release. The company typically keeps hardware projects under wraps until near launch, so formal announcements may come later this year or in early 2027.
If the testing phase succeeds, Meta could position the AI pendant as a key product in its wearable ecosystem, competing directly with other AI-powered personal assistants and conversation recorders already in the market.
For now, the internal memo serves as the strongest signal yet that Meta is betting big on AI-powered hardware as a way to reverse Reality Labs’ financial downturn and establish a new category of wearable technology beyond VR headsets and smart glasses.
As one industry observer noted, “Meta seems to be making big bets on AI-powered hardware.” The AI pendant could be the next milestone in that strategy if it succeeds in the testing phase and gains consumer traction in the months ahead.
