Meta is expanding its push into AI-powered hardware with a small portable device designed to give users direct access to its Muse personal AI agent without relying on a smartphone or wearing smart glasses.
The company unveiled the Muse Charm at Meta Connect 2026 on September 23, presenting the device as another way for users to interact with Muse throughout the day. Meta says the gadget combines its personal AI agent with a real-time voice model in a pocket-sized form.
The announcement comes as technology companies increasingly explore hardware that could make AI assistants part of everyday activities rather than applications accessed primarily through phones and computers.
A small device for Meta’s AI agent
Reuters described the Charm as a handheld device roughly the size of an Apple AirPods case.
The gadget has a touchscreen measuring about two inches and includes built-in 5G connectivity. Meta has not yet announced a price, while Reuters reported that the company expects the device to ship during the holiday period in December.
Meta’s own announcement describes the Charm as a device that allows people to talk and interact with Muse while carrying the AI agent with them.
The company has not yet released the full technical specifications or detailed information about battery life, pricing and availability.
Muse is at the centre of the strategy
The Charm is part of Meta’s broader effort to make Muse a personal AI agent rather than simply a conventional chatbot.
Meta introduced Muse earlier in September as an AI system designed to help users manage tasks and pursue longer-term goals. The company says Muse can work across a person’s phone, computer and the web and is designed to operate through conversational interaction.
Meta has also begun integrating Muse into its AI glasses.
That means the company is developing several hardware and software routes to the same AI system, including smartphones, computers, glasses and now a dedicated portable device.
AI moves into physical hardware
The Charm represents a different approach from conventional smartphones.
Instead of opening an application and typing a request, users are expected to interact with Muse through a dedicated device designed primarily around voice and AI functions.
That could make AI assistants more accessible during activities where using a phone is inconvenient.
Meta is also developing AI glasses that allow users to interact with Muse hands-free. At Connect, the company said Muse would be integrated into its AI glasses to help users manage tasks, obtain information and turn conversations into actions.
The company is therefore building an ecosystem in which the AI assistant can follow users across different devices.
Meta is expanding its AI glasses portfolio
The Charm announcement came alongside a major expansion of Meta’s wearable hardware.
Meta introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first audio-only glasses, with open-ear audio and AI features. The company says the glasses weigh 43 grams and can provide up to 12 hours of use on a single charge, with an additional 48 hours available through the charging case. Pre-orders start at $349, with shipping scheduled for October 13.
Meta also introduced the third generation of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
The company says the new models start at $449, offer up to nine hours of battery life and include a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 3K Ultra HD video.
The expansion gives Meta multiple wearable formats for its AI services.
Privacy remains a major issue
Meta’s hardware expansion also arrives amid continuing concerns about privacy and the use of AI-powered wearable devices.
Smart glasses equipped with cameras can record images and video in public places, raising questions about whether people nearby know when they are being recorded.
Reuters reported earlier in September that regulators and prosecutors in France were increasing scrutiny of smart glasses because of privacy and harassment concerns. The report also noted complaints from workplaces about the potential use of camera-equipped glasses.
Meta has attempted to address some of those concerns through visible recording indicators on its camera-equipped glasses.
The Charm could avoid some of the specific privacy issues associated with cameras because the device is not being presented as a camera-equipped wearable. However, its use of an AI assistant capable of handling personal information creates a different set of privacy questions.
Meta is building a broader AI hardware ecosystem
The Charm is not Meta’s only attempt to move beyond the smartphone.
The company also unveiled Meta VR Glasses, a lightweight virtual-reality device designed for entertainment, gaming and productivity.
Meta says the VR glasses weigh about 100 grams and can provide an immersive cinema experience, access to live sports and a multi-screen workspace.
The company’s broader strategy is therefore becoming increasingly hardware-focused.
Rather than relying exclusively on smartphones to distribute AI services, Meta is developing several device categories that can provide access to its software.
The post-smartphone market is becoming more competitive
Meta’s approach comes as technology companies search for hardware that could eventually change how people interact with digital services.
Smartphones remain the dominant personal computing device for most consumers, but technology companies are investing in glasses, AI assistants, earbuds, pins and other devices that could provide more natural interfaces.
Reuters reported that companies across the technology industry are exploring AI-powered wearables as part of the search for a possible successor or complement to the smartphone. Privacy concerns are among the major obstacles facing the category.
Meta’s existing position in smart glasses gives it an established hardware platform from which to develop its AI strategy.
Charm’s success will depend on everyday usefulness
The biggest question for the Charm will be whether consumers find a dedicated AI device useful enough to carry alongside their existing phones.
A separate gadget has to provide a meaningful advantage over applications that already run on smartphones.
Meta’s argument is that a dedicated device can provide faster and more natural access to its personal AI agent.
However, the company has not yet disclosed enough information to determine how the Charm will differ in everyday use from accessing Muse through a phone, computer or glasses.
More details are expected later this year
Meta has not yet provided a complete set of specifications for the Muse Charm.
The company says additional information will be shared later this year, while Reuters reports that the device is expected to ship in December. Pricing and detailed availability remain undisclosed.
Those details will be important for assessing the device’s position in the growing AI hardware market.
For now, the Charm represents another step in Meta’s effort to make its AI assistant available beyond conventional screens.
The company is simultaneously expanding AI glasses, developing VR hardware and integrating Muse across its software ecosystem.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in the technology industry toward AI systems that are designed to accompany users throughout the day, rather than remaining confined to a smartphone or computer application.
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