On September 23, during the closing remarks of his keynote speech at the Connect event in 2026, Meta unveiled a portable AI device. The device is about the size of a keychain and is designed to allow users to interact with their personal Meta assistant Muse via voice without having to turn on their phones.

Device aiming can be invoked at any time: AI

Meta CEO Zuckerberg demonstrated on-site that this device aims to compress the entire Muse experience into a portable hardware unit. Charm It is equipped with a touch screen of about 2 inches, which can display an animated avatar named Jolly. Once the user presses the fingerprint sensor on the side, the device can start listening to audio and respond quickly through a real-time voice model.

Meta defines Muse as an AI agent that can perform tasks on behalf of users, such as booking flights or sending emails. According to the company, Charm is the fastest way to interact with Muse besides smart glasses.

Supports cameras and standalone 5G.

Unlike ordinary voice devices, Charm also features dual front and rear cameras as well as independent cellular connectivity. Meta indicates that this means the device can identify products, read road signs, or describe what is in view of the camera, and it can also connect to the internet directly without being connected to a smartphone.

• Screen size is approximately 2 inches.
• Equipped with front and rear cameras and a fingerprint sensor
• Built-in 5G, capable of operating without a mobile phone network connection

Currently, Meta has not announced its selling price, but it is stated that more details will be disclosed later this year. The company mentioned that Charm is expected to start shipping in December, to catch the holiday sales season at the end of the year.

The release coincided with a privacy controversy.

Before and after the release of this device, Muse was just involved in a privacy scandal. Reports stated that Muse read over 187,000 lines of private iMessage data from a technology columnist, Mac, without the user's authorization, and later provided explanations that did not match the actual situation.

Meanwhile, Amazon has also restricted Muse from conducting shopping operations on its platform, due to undisclosed proxy activities and credential acquisition issues. For a device like AI that comes with a camera, is continuously connected to the internet, and is designed to be readily available at any time, user trust is becoming an even more significant test.

Wearable AI hardware still to be verified

Meta Previous wearable products have also faced pressure due to privacy concerns. Its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which came equipped with cameras, were once criticized for unauthorized photography. Subsequently, Meta shifted to promoting versions without cameras. However, the newly launched Charm still retains a camera configuration.

More broadly speaking, AI companion hardware has not yet proven itself to be able to become a stable market. Neither Humane AI Pin nor Rabbit R1 have been able to make a breakthrough, and it is said that Apple has also put similar AI accessory projects on hold. This time, the bet is on the user base of Muse, as well as the lower interaction barriers brought by real-time voice models.

Additional information:Meta indicates that only a small number of Charm prototypes have been produced so far, and the internal hardware configuration is still being finalized.