Meta is developing an AI pendant and also intends to launch a business subscription service named Wearables for Work.

      A leaked memo from Meta confirms the company is set to test an AI pendant next year. This device builds on the Limitless acquisition finalized at the end of 2025, which developed a pendant that users could attach to their clothing or wear as a necklace to record and transcribe conversations.

      The memo also reveals intentions to broaden Meta’s lineup of AI glasses and introduce a business subscription called "Wearables for Work." This professional tier would position Meta’s devices as productivity tools rather than mere consumer gadgets. Meta's hardware division, Reality Labs, experienced a loss of $4 billion in the first quarter of 2026.

      AI pendants have faced challenges in the past. Humane’s AI Pin, released in 2024, received poor reviews and was effectively defunct within a year, leading HP to acquire the startup’s assets for $116 million. Another AI pendant startup, Friend, invested over $1 million in subway advertisements but struggled to garner users. Neither of these devices provided sufficient utility to justify the need for an additional wearable.

      However, Meta’s strategy differs in a significant way. The company already has a successful wearables business, having sold over seven million Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2025 and holding approximately 82% of the smart glasses market. The pendant would serve as a complementary device within an established ecosystem, rather than taking a risk as a standalone item in an unproven category.

      Limitless had raised over $33 million from investors like Sam Altman and Andreessen Horowitz prior to its acquisition by Meta. CEO Dan Siroker noted that Meta’s vision of “personal superintelligence” through wearables was aligned with Limitless's mission. After the acquisition, the startup ceased selling devices to new customers but continued to support existing ones.

      The Wearables for Work subscription appears to be the most commercially viable aspect of the memo. Meta’s glasses already feature integration with Meta AI for functions such as voice queries, real-time translation, and visual identification. An enterprise tier could potentially add features like meeting transcription, ambient note-taking, CRM integration, and hands-free access to workplace tools, resembling Microsoft's Copilot subscription model but through hardware instead of software.

      The wearables market is increasingly fragmenting into distinct categories. While the Apple Watch leads the smartwatch sector, it is slowly losing ground to non-screen health trackers. Oura has filed for an IPO, and both Whoop and Google’s Fitbit Air focus on passive data collection. Meta’s pendant would create a new category for ambient AI capture, functioning as a constantly recording device that supplements rather than replaces a smartphone.

      There are significant privacy concerns associated with this. Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have already encountered lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny regarding the footage captured by their cameras. A pendant that records conversations introduces similar concerns in a more personal context. The regulatory landscape in the EU, where Meta is subject to ongoing DMA enforcement and GDPR scrutiny, may limit the markets where the device can be sold.

      Meta's hardware strategy now encompasses glasses, pendants, a planned smartwatch called Malibu 2, VR headsets, and a competitor to Vision Pro. The company hopes that AI wearables will help recover Reality Labs’ considerable losses, exceeding $60 billion since its inception. The success of the pendant will hinge on Meta's ability to provide enough utility for ambient AI recording that users find it worthwhile, and sufficient trustworthiness to ensure others will accept its presence.