Meta launches AI gadget Charm as race for post-smartphone hardware heats up

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reveals the Muse Charm device during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on Wednesday. MENLO PARK, California - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday unveiled a small handheld gadget called Meta Charm for using its new Muse AI assistant, taking the company's hardware efforts beyond its successful smart glasses. The AI device, about the size of an Apple AirPods case, features a roughly 2-inch (5 centimeter) touchscreen and a built-in 5G connection. Meta said Charm would be ready to ship for the holidays in December but did not give a price. "We pack the whole Muse experience, including the whole real-time voice and avatar stack, into something that fits on a keychain and is always available to talk to," Zuckerberg said at Meta's annual device event, Meta Connect, in Menlo Park, California. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.