Meta is tired of just owning your apps; they want to own your wrist, too. I’ve been following the breadcrumbs for years, and it’s finally happening: Meta is reportedly resurrecting its “dead” smartwatch project, and it’s set to drop later this year.
If you remember the leaks from 2022 about a watch with dual cameras that got canceled—forget them. This new version, codenamed Malibu 2, is a completely different beast focused on AI and a “neural” connection to your glasses.
The Brains: Meta AI on Your Wrist
I noticed a major shift in Meta’s strategy. They aren’t just making another fitness tracker; they’re building a wearable home for Meta AI.
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Integrated AI: Expect a built-in assistant that can handle voice commands and agents without needing to pull out your phone.
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OpenClaw Integration: Rumors suggest the watch will tap into Meta’s latest “OpenClaw” ecosystem for advanced automation.
Why it matters: Most watches are just notification centers. By putting Meta AI at the core, this watch could become a “command center” that actually talks back and helps you manage your day proactively.
The Secret Sauce: Neural Gestures
Here’s the thing that actually makes this interesting: it’s not just a watch. It’s a remote control for your Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.
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Neural Sensing: It uses electromyography (EMG) to detect tiny electrical signals from your muscles.
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Control: You’ll likely be able to “click” or “scroll” through menus on your glasses just by tapping your fingers together.
Why it matters: Using voice commands to control smart glasses in public is awkward. Being able to control them with subtle hand gestures from your wrist? That’s the future of how we’ll interact with tech without looking like we’re talking to ourselves.
Health & Fitness: Playing Catch-up
To be honest, Meta is late to the health party, but they are packing in the essentials to compete with Apple and Garmin.
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The Basics: Heart rate, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring.
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The “Malibu” Touch: Expect deep integration with your social circles (think sharing workout goals directly to Instagram Stories).
Why it matters: Meta has a massive social advantage. If they can make fitness tracking a more “social” and “connected” experience than Apple, they might actually win over the younger crowd that lives on Threads and Instagram.
The Wearable Ecosystem Shakeup
Meta is reportedly launching this alongside an updated version of the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.
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Current Success: Over 6 million Ray-Ban Meta glasses were shipped last year.
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Delayed Projects: The high-end AR glasses (Phoenix) have been pushed to 2027 to make room for this watch.
What We Know So Far
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Project Name: Malibu 2
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Launch Window: Late 2026
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Key Rivals: Apple Watch Series 12, Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, and the Google Pixel Watch 4.
My Take: Meta isn’t trying to build the best “watch”—they’re building the best “controller” for their AI glasses. If you’re already in the Meta ecosystem, this could be the piece of the puzzle that makes smart glasses finally feel practical for daily use.
