Meta Enters Consumer AI Hardware Race Before OpenAI, but Zuckerberg’s Strategy Is Still Unproven

Meta is making an aggressive push into consumer artificial intelligence hardware, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears determined to make the company less dependent on smartphones controlled by Apple and Google.

At Meta’s annual Connect conference, the company introduced several new devices and announced plans to expand its Muse AI agent across a growing hardware ecosystem. The most unusual product was the Muse Charm, a small pendant-like device designed to give users quick access to Muse without needing to pull out a smartphone.

The move gives Meta an early position in the emerging consumer AI device market, ahead of OpenAI, which is reportedly developing its own dedicated hardware product. However, the biggest question remains whether consumers actually want another device when smartphones already provide easy access to powerful AI applications.

Muse Becomes the Center of Meta’s AI Strategy

Meta entered the generative AI race later than several of its major competitors. OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google had already established popular AI models and services before Meta began making a more visible push into consumer AI.

Zuckerberg is now trying to make up for that lost time with Muse, an AI agent designed to do more than simply answer questions. Muse can act as a personal assistant by helping users respond to emails, book travel, shop online, and complete other digital tasks.

Rather than treating Muse as just another chatbot, Meta wants the agent to become the foundation of a larger hardware and software ecosystem.

During the Connect conference, Meta said that by the end of 2026 there could be more than 100 styles of AI-powered glasses available. The company also plans to bring Muse to its smart glasses, allowing users to activate their AI assistant through voice commands.

This suggests Meta wants Muse to become something users can access throughout the day, regardless of whether they are using a phone, smart glasses, virtual reality headset, or dedicated AI device.

What Is the Meta Muse Charm?

The Muse Charm is perhaps the most experimental part of Meta’s new AI hardware strategy.

The small device resembles a cross between a keychain gadget and a wearable personal alert device. Zuckerberg said Meta is still finalizing elements such as the exterior material and internal component layout, but the company hopes to have the product ready in time for the holiday season.

Meta has not yet announced an official price.

The Charm is expected to include a fingerprint sensor that users can activate before speaking with their Muse agent. Its main purpose appears to be providing quick, convenient access to AI without requiring users to unlock or interact with a smartphone.

In theory, users could ask questions, request reminders, organize schedules, plan activities, or access information while on the move.

Meta Gets Ahead of OpenAI in AI Hardware

Meta’s announcement is particularly notable because OpenAI is also expected to enter the consumer hardware market.

OpenAI has been working on a long-awaited AI device that reports have described as potentially resembling a small speaker or hockey puck. The company’s upcoming developer event has created significant anticipation around whether more details about the hardware will be revealed.

By announcing Muse Charm first, Meta has managed to position itself as one of the earliest major AI companies to introduce a dedicated consumer AI device.

The timing also comes as Muse gains significant momentum. According to the CNBC report, Muse climbed to the top of Apple’s App Store and temporarily surpassed ChatGPT in popularity.

Investors appear encouraged by the momentum. Meta shares rose 4.5% on the Thursday following the Connect presentation and were up more than 25% since the company announced Muse earlier in September.

Zuckerberg Still Wants Independence From Apple

Meta’s hardware ambitions are not new.

Zuckerberg has long wanted greater control over the devices consumers use to access Meta’s products. Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp rely heavily on mobile operating systems controlled by Apple and Google.

That dependence became particularly painful for Meta after Apple introduced privacy changes in 2021 that limited how applications could track users for advertising purposes.

By building its own hardware, Meta gains a potential direct connection with consumers without relying entirely on smartphone platforms.

The company has already achieved some success through its smart glasses partnership with Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica. Meta plans to bring Muse to those glasses in the coming months, offering hands-free access simply by calling the agent’s name.

Meta Expands Beyond Smart Glasses

Meta also unveiled new Meta VR Glasses during the Connect event.

The device is designed to be thinner and lighter than the company’s older Quest-branded virtual reality headsets. However, it will also be significantly more expensive, with a planned price of $1,299 when it goes on sale next year.

For comparison, Meta launched the Quest 3S in 2024 at a much lower starting price of $299.

These launches show that Meta is pursuing multiple hardware categories at once, including smart glasses, virtual reality products, and now dedicated AI accessories.

But the Charm may face a different challenge because consumers already carry smartphones capable of accessing AI assistants.

Do Consumers Really Need Another AI Device?

The biggest obstacle for Muse Charm may simply be convincing people that they need it.

Smartphones are already powerful, familiar, and capable of running AI applications. A dedicated AI pendant therefore needs to offer significantly more convenience if consumers are expected to carry and charge another device.

Anthony Ferry, CEO of e-commerce company Wayvia, raised exactly this concern after watching Meta’s Connect presentation. He questioned why users would carry another device unless it was genuinely easier than using a phone.

If users still need to pull out their phones to complete tasks or correct mistakes made by the AI, the value of the Charm could become difficult to justify.

Counterpoint Research analyst Anshika Jain, however, sees potential in the concept. She argued that devices like Muse Charm could represent a broader shift toward more natural, real-time interaction with AI.

The key difference is that AI agents are designed not only to answer questions but also to understand context and take action.

Meta Still Needs a Business Model for Muse

Another major challenge is monetization.

Zuckerberg has indicated that Meta expects Muse to remain free for most users. Instead, the company may eventually generate revenue by taking small fees from transactions completed through the AI agent.

For example, if Muse helps a user purchase a product or book a service, Meta could potentially receive a percentage of the transaction.

This model could create an enormous new revenue opportunity if consumers begin relying on AI agents for shopping and other commercial activities.

But there are already signs of resistance.

Amazon has blocked Muse from scanning its website to shop on behalf of customers. The company has reportedly made similar moves against AI services from Perplexity, OpenAI, and Google.

This highlights a growing conflict between AI agents and online platforms that want to maintain control over their customer relationships.

Businesses Will Want Proof of Incremental Value

Transaction-based AI commerce may also need to prove that it actually generates additional sales rather than simply inserting Meta into transactions that would have happened anyway.

Businesses will need to determine whether an AI agent brings them genuinely new customers or merely changes the channel through which existing customers purchase the same products.

If Meta charges a fee without generating additional business, merchants may have little incentive to participate.

Analysts at William Blair said Meta has outlined a relatively clear monetization model in which Muse remains broadly free while Meta earns small fees from transactions completed through the agent.

Zuckerberg’s Hardware Bet Remains Unproven

Investors may currently be enthusiastic about Meta’s AI strategy, but Zuckerberg’s hardware record remains mixed.

Five years ago, Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta as Zuckerberg made the metaverse the centerpiece of the company’s future. Despite billions of dollars in investment, virtual reality has yet to become the massive consumer platform Meta once envisioned.

Muse and AI hardware now represent another major strategic bet.

The opportunity is significant. If personal AI agents become the primary way users interact with online services, Meta could gain a powerful new platform independent of traditional smartphones.

However, success will depend on whether Muse maintains its early popularity, whether consumers embrace dedicated AI devices, and whether Meta can build a sustainable business model around AI transactions.

Conclusion

Meta has managed to enter the consumer AI hardware market ahead of OpenAI with the Muse Charm, while simultaneously expanding Muse across smart glasses and other connected devices.

Zuckerberg’s vision is ambitious: build an AI agent that becomes central to everyday life and make Meta’s own hardware the easiest way to access it.

Early investor enthusiasm and Muse’s strong App Store performance suggest that Meta has captured attention. But attention does not guarantee long-term success.

Consumers still need a compelling reason to carry another device, businesses need evidence that AI-driven transactions create real value, and Meta must prove that Muse is more than a temporary trend.

The Muse Charm may give Meta an early advantage in consumer AI hardware, but the larger question is whether Zuckerberg can finally turn one of his hardware bets into a mainstream platform.