Meta’s latest acquisition signals that its hardware ambitions are widening beyond the familiar frames of smart glasses and mixed reality headsets. By moving into AI-powered wearables that sit on the body rather than the face, the company is testing a more ambient, always-on model of computing that could eventually rival the smartphone as the primary way people access digital assistants.
I see this shift as part of a broader reset inside Meta, where years of heavy metaverse spending are giving way to a more pragmatic push to embed artificial intelligence into everyday objects. The purchase of Limitless, and the pendant device it has built, shows how seriously Meta is now treating AI hardware that can live with users all day, not just when they choose to put on a headset.
Meta’s Limitless bet and what the pendant really represents
Meta is acquiring Limitless, an AI-wearable startup whose core product is a pendant that clips to a shirt and quietly records and processes what the wearer experiences. The device is designed to capture conversations and other audio in real time, then use artificial intelligence to turn that raw stream into searchable notes and summaries, effectively acting as a memory layer that sits on top of daily life. In the acquisition announcement, Meta framed the deal as a way to fold this kind of AI-wearable technology into its broader ecosystem, treating Limitless not as a side project but as a building block for its next generation of personal devices, a point underscored by Dec and the Meta is acquiring Limitless coverage.
Limitless did not start with hardware, which makes Meta’s interest more revealing. The company’s first product, Rewind, was desktop productivity software that recorded what users saw or heard on their computers throughout the day, then let them search that archive as if it were a personal index of their work and communications. Only later did Limitless move that concept into a physical pendant that could follow users into meetings, commutes, and social settings, extending the same AI-powered recall beyond the screen. Meta is not just buying a gadget, it is buying a philosophy of computing that treats continuous capture and retrieval as a core feature of how people might interact with AI in the future, a direction highlighted in reporting on Limitless’ first product was Rewind.
From metaverse overreach to AI wearables reset
Meta’s pivot toward AI wearables is easier to understand against the backdrop of its metaverse comedown. After pouring money into virtual reality and mixed reality projects, the company has absorbed a loss of $70,000,000,000 on its metaverse efforts and has now cut that budget by 30 percent, a dramatic retrenchment that reflects how far expectations have fallen. In place of that spending, Meta is concentrating on integrating artificial intelligence into products people already use, from social apps to new hardware, and is prioritizing AI-powered features that can enhance user experiences without requiring them to fully step into a virtual world, a shift detailed in reporting that Meta is now focusing on integrating AI into its existing platforms.
That budget cut is not just a financial adjustment, it is a strategic signal that Meta is moving away from the idea that people will spend large chunks of their day in headsets. Instead, the company is betting that AI can be threaded into the flow of ordinary life, whether through glasses, phones, or small devices like the Limitless pendant that do not demand full visual immersion. By redirecting resources from speculative metaverse projects to more grounded AI wearables, Meta is acknowledging that the path to mainstream adoption likely runs through tools that feel like subtle upgrades to existing habits rather than radical departures from them.
Why a pendant hints at hardware beyond the face
The choice to buy a company built around a pendant, rather than another headset or pair of glasses, is telling. A pendant sits lower on the body, closer to the chest, and can be worn with almost any outfit without drawing the same kind of attention that a bulky headset or conspicuous smart glasses might. That makes it a natural candidate for always-on recording and ambient listening, which are central to Limitless’s pitch, and it opens up a different set of use cases, from capturing in-person meetings to logging off-screen conversations, that head-mounted devices are not always well suited to handle discreetly.
Meta’s interest in this form factor suggests it is thinking about a broader family of AI devices that can live on the body in different ways, each optimized for a particular mix of sensors, battery life, and social acceptability. A pendant can prioritize audio capture and long-term wear, while glasses can focus on visual overlays and quick glances, and headsets can deliver fully immersive experiences when users want them. By adding Limitless to its portfolio, Meta is effectively acknowledging that the future of AI hardware will not be a single device but a constellation of objects that work together, and that some of the most powerful ones may be the least visually intrusive, a point that aligns with coverage noting that Meta now seems interested in branching out beyond glasses and headsets.
Inside Limitless’s AI pendant and its “personal memory” pitch
At the heart of Limitless’s appeal is a simple but provocative idea, that a small device can serve as an external brain that remembers what you say and hear. The pendant is built to record conversations in real time, then use AI to transcribe and organize them so users can search for specific moments, topics, or commitments long after the fact. That turns everyday interactions into a database that can be queried like email or chat history, blurring the line between human memory and machine assistance and raising both productivity promises and privacy questions, as highlighted in descriptions that Limitless’s pendant can record and transcribe conversations.
Limitless’s software heritage matters here, because it shows how the company has already thought about search, summarization, and user control over large volumes of personal data. Rewind, its original desktop product, was designed to capture everything on a user’s screen and microphone, then let them jump back to any moment as if scrubbing through a personal timeline. The pendant extends that concept into the physical world, and Meta’s acquisition suggests it sees value in marrying that kind of AI-powered recall with its own messaging, productivity, and social tools. If Meta can integrate Limitless’s technology into its platforms, it could offer users a unified memory layer that spans both digital and in-person interactions, a capability that would set its AI hardware apart from more narrowly focused devices.
Meta’s “personal superintelligence” vision and the role of wearables
Meta has started to describe its long-term goal as bringing “personal superintelligence” to people, a phrase that hints at AI assistants that are deeply personalized, context aware, and available at any moment. To make that vision real, the company needs hardware that can collect enough data about a user’s environment, preferences, and routines to give the AI something meaningful to work with. A pendant that records what you say and hear, paired with glasses that see what you look at and headsets that know when you want full immersion, creates a rich stream of signals that an AI system can use to anticipate needs, surface reminders, and offer suggestions before you even ask, a direction reflected in Meta’s own description of its new vision to bring personal superintelligence to life.
In that context, the Limitless acquisition looks less like a one-off deal and more like a missing piece in a larger puzzle. Meta already has smart glasses that can capture photos and video, and mixed reality headsets that can map rooms and track hand movements, but it did not have a small, socially acceptable device focused on continuous audio capture and recall. By adding a pendant to its lineup, Meta is rounding out the sensor coverage it needs to build a truly comprehensive picture of a user’s day. If it can convince people to trust such a system with their data, the payoff would be an AI assistant that feels less like a chatbot and more like a companion that genuinely understands their history and context.
Delaying mixed reality glasses to double down on AI wearables
Meta’s hardware roadmap is also shifting in ways that make the Limitless deal look like part of a broader reprioritization. The company has delayed the release of new mixed reality glasses that were code named internally, choosing instead to redirect resources toward AI-powered glasses and other wearable technology that can reach users sooner and fit more naturally into daily routines. That decision reflects a belief that the near-term opportunity lies in devices that look and feel like familiar accessories, rather than in more experimental hardware that might require users to change their behavior more dramatically, a recalibration captured in reports that Meta is dialing back its metaverse ambitions.
By slowing down its mixed reality glasses and accelerating work on AI wearables, Meta is effectively staging its hardware bets. Headsets and advanced glasses remain part of the long-term plan, but they are no longer the only or even the primary way the company expects people to experience its AI. Instead, Meta is building a ladder of devices, from pendants to glasses to full headsets, that can bring users along step by step. The Limitless pendant fits neatly into that ladder as an entry point for people who might be curious about AI assistance but hesitant to wear a screen on their face, giving Meta a way to expand its hardware footprint without waiting for mixed reality to fully mature.
Premium design ambitions and the Apple talent play
Meta’s hardware strategy is not just about functionality, it is also about design and brand perception. The company has recruited Dye from Apple, a company renowned for its design-centric culture, in a move that signals a desire to build more premium products that can compete not only on features but on aesthetics and desirability. Bringing in a leader steeped in Apple’s approach suggests Meta wants its devices, from glasses to pendants, to feel less like experimental gadgets and more like lifestyle objects that people are proud to wear, a shift that aligns with reporting that Meta’s recruitment of Dye from a company renowned for its design-centric culture is part of a move toward more premium products.
That design push matters even more for wearables that sit on the body all day. A pendant that looks clunky or intrusive will struggle to gain traction, no matter how powerful its AI features are, while a thoughtfully designed piece of hardware can blend into jewelry or clothing and feel like a natural part of someone’s style. By pairing Limitless’s AI capabilities with a more refined design sensibility, Meta has a chance to reposition itself as a lifestyle brand, not just a social network company that happens to make headsets. If it succeeds, the company could shift consumer expectations around what AI hardware looks like, making it easier to introduce new form factors in the future.
How Meta plans to integrate Limitless into its AI-enabled wearables push
Meta has been explicit that it sees the Limitless deal as a way to accelerate its work on AI-enabled wearables, not just to add another product line. The company has described the acquisition as a step toward building devices that can bring its shared vision of AI-powered assistance to life, suggesting that Limitless’s technology will be woven into Meta’s broader hardware and software stack rather than left to operate as a standalone brand. That framing positions the pendant as a testbed for features that could eventually show up in other Meta devices, from automatic meeting notes in smart glasses to cross-platform recall tools that sync across phones and headsets, an ambition reflected in statements that Meta Acquires Limitless to Accelerate Work on AI-Enabled Wearables.
For existing Limitless users, Meta has indicated that it plans to support current Pendant customers and give them control over their data, including the ability to export or delete it if they choose. That commitment is not just a customer service gesture, it is a recognition that any future for AI wearables will depend on trust, especially for devices that record sensitive conversations and personal moments. If Meta can demonstrate that it respects user control while still delivering compelling AI features, it will be better positioned to roll out new hardware categories that push even further into people’s daily lives.
The broader implications for Meta’s hardware roadmap
When I look across these moves, a pattern emerges. Meta is cutting back on its most speculative metaverse spending, delaying some of its more ambitious mixed reality glasses, and hiring design talent from Apple, all while buying a startup that makes a small, AI-powered pendant. Taken together, those decisions point to a company that is recalibrating its hardware roadmap around devices that are easier to wear, easier to understand, and more tightly integrated with AI services that can deliver immediate value. The Limitless acquisition is not a rejection of headsets and glasses, but it is a clear signal that Meta now sees a wider field of opportunity in wearables that do not sit on the face.
That shift has implications far beyond one startup deal. If Meta succeeds in turning pendants, glasses, and other subtle wearables into a cohesive family of AI devices, it could redefine how people expect to interact with technology throughout the day, moving away from screens and toward ambient assistance that is always listening, watching, and ready to help. It would also put pressure on rivals to think beyond their own flagship devices, whether that is a smartphone, a headset, or a pair of glasses, and to consider how a network of smaller, more personal gadgets might work together. For now, Meta’s bet on Limitless is an early but telling sign that the next wave of AI hardware may be less about what we put on our faces and more about what quietly rides along with us everywhere we go, a direction that Dec and other reporting on Meta to buy AI-wearable startup Limitless have already begun to map out.
More from MorningOverview