Meta Previews Muse Charm Pendant and AI Glasses Push Ahead of OpenAI DevDay

Zuckerberg has long wanted to own the hardware consumers use to access Meta's apps, according to CNBC. He is now counting on a slate of forthcoming devices to make Muse the centerpiece of Meta's AI strategy. Meta was late to generative AI and badly trailed OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, which have popular AI models and services used by consumers and businesses. Zuckerberg is trying to make up for lost time with Muse, an app that can act as a personal assistant, responding to emails, booking travel and shopping on a user's behalf.

Investors have bought in. Meta shares rose 4.5% on Thursday and more than 25% since the company announced Muse earlier this month, CNBC reported. Mizuho analysts wrote in a report Thursday that Meta Connect 2026 “more explicitly attached Muse AI as a killer app fused deeply into the hardware strategy,” from AR glasses to the Muse Charm. The firm recommends buying the stock and said Meta's AI advancements will continue “to drive multiple expansion in Meta shares.”

The Muse Charm resembles a cross between a child's Tamagotchi keychain and a wearable medical buzzer, according to CNBC. Zuckerberg said Meta still needs to finalize the “finishing material” and “laying out the components” before it can ship for the holidays. He did not give a price. The device is intended to provide rapid access to Muse. Zuckerberg said it will contain a fingerprint sensor that, when activated, lets people talk to their AI agent.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is preparing for its DevDay conference next week. Anticipation has built that Sam Altman's company may show off its long-awaited hardware product, reportedly a hockey puck-like speaker. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment. By getting out ahead of OpenAI, Zuckerberg is building on Muse's momentum: the app skyrocketed to the top of Apple's App Store, eclipsing ChatGPT, CNBC reported. OpenAI and Anthropic are also facing intensifying concerns about their market-leading AI models, as critics and company executives warn about potential harms to humanity.

For Zuckerberg, the Muse Charm is the latest hardware effort to reduce Meta's reliance on Apple for distribution. That reliance became more difficult after Apple changed its privacy policy in 2021, limiting app developers' ability to target users with ads. Meta has found some success in smart glasses through a partnership with Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica. The company said Wednesday that in the coming months it will bring Muse to its smart glasses, offering “hands-free access, activated by saying your agent's name.”

Meta also unveiled Meta VR Glasses, which are slimmer and lighter than older Quest-branded VR headsets but more expensive. They will cost $1,299 when they go on sale next year. It is Meta's first VR device since 2024, when the company debuted the $299 Quest 3S. The pendant represents an entirely new device category, but many experts say there is no clear sense of market demand given the ubiquity and capability of smartphones.

Anthony Ferry, CEO of the e-commerce company Wayvia, said after watching the Connect presentation that he questioned why he would carry another device. For it to be valuable, it has to be “easier than using my phone,” he said, adding that if he still has to pull out his phone to finish the job or fix an order, “it's just another thing to charge.” Anshika Jain, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said she can see the appeal. “Meta's Muse Charm reflects a broader shift in how consumers may interact with AI in real time, with a more convenient and simpler interface for everyday life,” Jain said in an email. She said the core is the Muse AI agent, designed to understand context and take actions faster rather than just respond to queries. Jain said the Muse Charm could find use cases such as asking questions, getting reminders, planning or accessing information while on the go.

Zuckerberg also has to find a workable economic model for the AI agent. Amazon blocked Meta's Muse from scanning its site to shop on behalf of customers, following similar moves against Perplexity, OpenAI and Google. Zuckerberg said he expects that “over time we will profit by taking a small fee from transactions.”