Meta is shaking up expectations and taking direct aim at big competitors. Sources reveal the company is preparing to unveil its first-ever smartwatch with not one but two integrated cameras, plus artificial intelligence power.
Meta intends to showcase its wearable breakthrough at the Meta Connect event on September 17, 2025, adding a bold new chapter to its tech lineup.
Next-gen features: Camera and AI set the Meta smartwatch apart
Forget counting steps and tracking sleep—Meta has a different vision for the smartwatch. Reports from DigiTimes and 9to5Google detail a design featuring a 5MP front-facing camera for crisp video calls and a 12MP rear camera on the underside for off-wrist photography.
Why the camera-centric approach? Meta insiders suggest this wearable aims to complement the company’s Ray-Ban smart glasses and Quest VR headsets, putting augmented reality and hands-free interaction front and center.
A spokesperson familiar with the project said, “The Meta Smartwatch is designed not just for the wrist—but for the real world around you, boosting what you can see, record, and do, whenever you wear it.”
If true, users will be able to capture moments seamlessly, scan the world for smart AI interpretation, and possibly interact with Meta’s extended reality (XR) platform all from their wrists.
A new challenger in the wearables race
Meta’s wearable offering won’t follow the same rules as Apple, Samsung, or Garmin. Instead of focusing on fitness or notifications, this device prioritises AI-powered context recognition and real-time, camera-based controls.
One supply chain leak claims, “Meta’s smartwatch will offer camera features and spatial awareness unlike anything on the market today.” The device is also said to be manufactured by Huaqin, signalling Meta’s push for innovation and quality.
The journey has been bumpy. Meta shelved the smartwatch in 2022 due to hardware and nerve-signal system issues. But as 2025 arrives, the Meta smartwatch is back on track, promising to “let users see, snap, and interact with the world without stopping to dig out a phone”.
Industry watchers are watching closely: Meta’s gamble on camera-first wearables could push smartwatches in a new direction altogether.