Home / Global Watch / Meta plans AI pendant, ‘wearables for work’ in hardware boost

Meta plans AI pendant, ‘wearables for work’ in hardware boost

Meta AI logo is seen in this illustration created on May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) – Meta Platforms META.O plans to start testing an AI pendant in the next year, as it charts a roadmap for wearable devices in an effort to reverse losses in its hardware division, The Information reported, citing a memo.

The Facebook and Instagram owner plans to significantly expand its selection of AI glasses and add a business-focused service called “Wearables for Work” the report said, citing an internal memo by Alex Himel, Meta’s vice president of wearables.

The report comes after Meta’s hardware unit Reality Labs reported a loss of $4.03 billion in the first quarter on revenue of just $402 million.

Meta aims to sell 10 million wearable devices in the second half of 2026, driving sales by launching new products and selling them in more countries, The Information said.

It currently has partnerships with EssilorLuxottica ESLX.PA brands Ray-Ban and Oakley to make AI-powered smart glasses.

Last year, Meta acquired AI-wearables startup Limitless, maker of a pendant-style device that records and transcribes real-world conversations, to accelerate efforts towards developing next-generation AI-enabled wearables.

(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and William Mallard)

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