Inside Meta's Wearable Strategy: AI Pendant, Business Service, and Expanded Glasses

Since late 2020, Reality Labs has accumulated over $80 billion in total operating losses, and some estimates place the figure closer to $83 billion . The division has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in 2026, signaling that leadership is under mounting pressure to show a credible path toward financial sustainability .

Meta's Three-Pronged Wearable Strategy

The new roadmap, outlined in an internal memo by Meta's vice president of wearables Alex Himel and reported by The Information, represents a strategic pivot toward AI-first wearable devices .

1. AI Pendant Testing

Meta plans to begin testing an AI-powered pendant within the next year . The device is part of a broader push to popularize Meta's AI assistants and create new hardware categories beyond smart glasses .

The exact specifications, pricing, or distribution strategy for the pendant remain undisclosed in the available reports. What is clear is that the pendant represents a direct entrance into a product category that Apple is also reportedly developing .

2. "Wearables for Work" Business Service

Beyond consumer devices, Meta plans to introduce a business-focused wearables service called "Wearables for Work" . The initiative signals an effort to move wearable technology into enterprise environments, potentially creating a recurring revenue stream distinct from consumer hardware sales.

Specific enterprise features have not been detailed publicly, but the service appears designed to complement Meta's expanding hardware lineup with workplace-oriented use cases .

3. Expanded AI Glasses Lineup

Meta intends to "significantly expand" its selection of AI glasses beyond its current Ray-Ban Meta partnership . The ambition is backed by a concrete volume target: the company aims to sell 10 million wearable devices in the second half of 2026 alone .

This target is striking because independent analysts project the entire global AI glasses market will reach approximately 10 million units for the full year of 2026, according to Omdia . If Meta achieves its six-month goal, it would effectively match or exceed the total industry forecast for the year.

How the Market Is Shaping Up

The wearable AI device category is attracting serious investment from multiple tech giants. Omdia forecasts the AI glasses market will grow from 5.1 million units in 2025 to over 10 million units in 2026, representing a 158% year-over-year increase . The research firm projects the market could reach 35 million units by 2030, with a 47% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030 .

Apple Is Matching Meta's Moves

Apple is pursuing a strikingly similar three-device strategy, according to Bloomberg reporting from February 2026. The company is accelerating development of smart glasses, an AI pendant that can be pinned to clothing or worn as a necklace, and camera-equipped AirPods . All three devices are being built around an upgraded Siri digital assistant that uses visual context to interpret the wearer's surroundings .

Apple's smart glasses, codenamed N50, are designed as a direct competitor to Meta's Ray-Ban Meta glasses . The company has aimed for a late 2026 production target, though some reports suggest a 2027 launch is more likely . Unlike Meta, which already has AI glasses in market through its Ray-Ban partnership, Apple is entering as a planned competitor rather than an incumbent .

Both companies are treating the AI pendant form factor as strategically important. Apple's pendant is reportedly envisioned as a simpler, lower-cost device compared to its smart glasses, equipped with cameras and AI capabilities . Meta's pendant ambitions are less defined in the public record, with the company only committed to testing at this stage .

Google's wearables roadmap is less substantiated in the available sources. While Omdia's market forecast names Google among the vendors expected to drive AI glasses growth in 2026, specific details on a first-party Google pendant or enterprise wearables strategy are not documented in the provided source set . Google has introduced spatial UI frameworks that could underpin future wearable devices, but a direct competitive comparison with Meta's three-pronged strategy requires additional sourcing .

The Strategy Shift in Context

Meta's hardware pivot reflects a broader industry shift toward AI wearables as the next major computing platform. The company is attempting to move from a VR-centric hardware strategy to one built around AI assistants embedded in everyday accessories — glasses, pendants, and potentially other form factors .

The 10 million-unit target for the second half of 2026 signals that Meta is not approaching this as a small experiment. It is planning for volume that would make it a dominant player in the emerging AI wearables market almost immediately, assuming execution matches ambition .

Whether the strategy can meaningfully address Reality Labs' $80 billion-plus cumulative losses remains an open question. The division's revenue in Q1 2026 was $402 million against a $4.03 billion operating loss — a ratio that would require a dramatic increase in unit sales and average selling prices to close .