After quietly shelving the idea years ago, Meta is once again reaching toward the wrist — this time with a camera-equipped smartwatch designed to work alongside smart glasses and powered by the same AI ambitions driving the company's broader hardware push. The device, reportedly targeting a September launch at Meta Connect, would place Meta in direct competition with Apple Watch while staking out a different kind of territory: one where wearables see the world, not just track the body. It is a bet that the next meaningful frontier in personal technology lies at the intersection of visual intel
Meta revives smartwatch with camera, eyeing September launch alongside smart glasses
Meta is betting the intersection of wearables, AI, and visual input is where the next wave of consumer technology lives.
Mark
So Meta is bringing back a smartwatch idea they killed years ago. Why now? What changed?
Mimi
The Ray-Ban smart glasses proved the concept works—cameras on wearables can deliver real AI value. Meta's probably thinking: if it works on glasses, why not extend it to the wrist?
Luke
But we should be careful here. DigiTimes is reporting this, not Meta. And DigiTimes itself says it's unclear if this launches in September. We're looking at a supply chain rumor, not a confirmed product roadmap.
Mark
Fair point. So what would the camera actually do on a watch that it doesn't already do on the glasses?
Mimi
That's the real question nobody's answered yet. Maybe it's redundancy—you have two angles on the world. Or maybe the watch camera is lower-res, cheaper, and designed for different use cases. We don't know.
Luke
Exactly. The narrative here is "Meta is developing this," not "Meta has figured out what it's for." Those are different stories.
Mark
And Apple tried this and gave up?
Mimi
Apple explored it, reportedly decided against it. Privacy concerns, probably. Practical issues with a camera on your wrist.
Luke
Which raises the question: if Apple—with all its resources and design expertise—decided a watch camera wasn't worth it, what does Meta know that Apple doesn't? Or is Meta just willing to take a bet Apple won't?
Mark
When would we actually know if this is real?
Mimi
September 17 at Meta Connect. That's the date everyone's watching. But even then, Meta might just show a prototype or tease it without releasing it.
Luke
And if they don't announce anything in September, the whole story collapses. We'll be back to "Meta was developing this" with no proof it ever ships.
Le Pouls
- Meta is reviving a smartwatch project it once abandoned, now with a front-facing camera and AI integration at its core — a sharp pivot from caution to ambition.
- The September 17 Meta Connect event creates a ticking clock, placing the device in direct collision with Apple's own annual watch launch and raising the stakes for both companies.
- Most wearable makers have avoided cameras on the wrist due to privacy concerns and limited utility, making Meta's choice a deliberate gamble on differentiation over convention.
- The watch's most plausible purpose is extending the AI vision system already built into Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, creating a paired ecosystem where both devices share what they see.
- Uncertainty still clouds the project — no confirmed specs, no official word from Meta, and even the launch event itself remains unconfirmed as a debut moment.
After quietly shelving the idea years ago, Meta is once again reaching toward the wrist — this time with a camera-equipped smartwatch designed to work alongside smart glasses and powered by the same AI ambitions driving the company's broader hardware push. The device, reportedly targeting a September launch at Meta Connect, would place Meta in direct competition with Apple Watch while staking out a different kind of territory: one where wearables see the world, not just track the body. It is a bet that the next meaningful frontier in personal technology lies at the intersection of visual intelligence and everyday objects we already wear.
Meta is reviving a smartwatch concept it once shelved before it ever reached consumers. According to DigiTimes, the company is now actively developing a wrist-worn device with a built-in camera, targeting a launch as early as September — potentially at Meta Connect on September 17, the same window Apple typically uses to introduce its latest watch.
The camera is what sets this device apart in a crowded wearables market. Most competitors have avoided putting cameras on smartwatches, pointing to privacy concerns and practical limitations. Even Apple reportedly explored the idea before walking away. Meta appears to be moving in the opposite direction, likely because the camera serves a specific purpose: extending the AI vision capabilities already present in its Ray-Ban smart glasses to the wrist. A user could theoretically point their watch at something and receive AI-powered information, with the watch and rumored "Celeste" smart glasses feeding visual data into a shared system.
This fits a broader pattern. Meta has been building out its wearables lineup aggressively — releasing Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, preparing the Meta Quest 4 headset, and now potentially adding a smartwatch. Each device represents another point of contact between users and Meta's AI infrastructure throughout the day.
Still, the project carries real uncertainty. DigiTimes itself acknowledged it's unclear whether Meta will actually unveil the watch at the September event or simply hint at it. No specifications have been confirmed, and Meta has said nothing publicly. What exists is a supply chain signal pointing toward something in development — and an open question about whether a camera on a smartwatch is a feature the world is ready to want.
Meta is dusting off an old idea. Years ago, the company sketched plans for a smartwatch equipped with cameras—two of them, in fact—but shelved the project before it ever reached consumers. Now, according to reporting from DigiTimes, Meta has reversed that decision and is actively developing a new smartwatch with a camera built into its face, designed to launch as early as September and work in tandem with a pair of smart glasses the company is also preparing to release.
The timing matters. Meta Connect, the company's annual developer conference, is scheduled for September 17. That's when the smartwatch could make its debut, positioning Meta to compete directly with Apple's next-generation watch, the Apple Watch 11, which typically launches around the same period. The smartwatch would be unusual in the crowded wearables market—most competitors have steered away from cameras on wrist-worn devices, citing privacy concerns and practical limitations. Apple itself reportedly explored adding a camera to its watch but abandoned those plans.
What Meta intends to do with the camera remains unclear from available reporting. The most plausible explanation lies in the company's existing smart glasses strategy. Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, which launched earlier, already pack AI capabilities powered by on-device cameras. A smartwatch camera could theoretically extend that same functionality to the wrist—allowing users to point their watch at something and receive AI-powered analysis or information. Pairing the watch with Meta's rumored "Celeste" smart glasses would create an ecosystem where both devices feed visual data into the same AI system, potentially offering capabilities neither device could deliver alone.
This represents a significant shift in Meta's hardware ambitions. The company has been aggressive about building out its wearables lineup in recent months. Beyond the smartwatch and smart glasses, Meta has released Oakley Meta HSTN glasses and is preparing the Meta Quest 4 headset. A functioning smartwatch would add another layer to that strategy, giving Meta multiple entry points into how people interact with AI throughout their day.
But uncertainty shadows the project. DigiTimes itself noted that it remains unclear whether Meta will actually unveil the smartwatch at the September 17 event—the company might simply tease it, or delay the announcement entirely. The source material offers no confirmation from Meta itself, no timeline locked in stone, no specification sheet. What exists is a report from a supply chain publication suggesting the device is in development. Whether it reaches the market, and whether a camera on a smartwatch proves to be a feature people actually want, remains an open question. For now, Meta is betting that the intersection of wearables, AI, and visual input is where the next wave of consumer technology lives.
Citations marquantes
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses come with AI features that utilize the camera, suggesting the smartwatch could offer similar AI tools if equipped with a camera.— DigiTimes reporting
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