Facebook is developing its first wearable device. It features a display with two cameras that can be detached from the wrist to take photos and videos. The content will be shareable across Facebook apps, including Instagram. The device is expected to debut next summer, but the company has yet to publicly announce it.
Facebook envisions the watch as a way to encourage users to use it as a regular smartphone, and to help the company surpass Apple and Google. The front-facing camera is primarily for video calls. The iran number data back has a 1080p autofocus camera that can be detached from its stainless steel base to take photos. Facebook is working with other companies to develop accessories for the device, according to two people familiar with the project, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The camera could be attached to a backpack, for example.
Plans to bypass Apple and Google
The release of Facebook's first wearable device will widen the field of competition with Apple, which positions itself as a privacy advocate and limits the types of data that apps like Facebook can collect. At the same time, Facebook has been facing scandals related to the processing of user data for several years. In such circumstances, the company may have a difficult time convincing people to buy a competitor to the Apple Watch, which also supports heart rate monitoring.
Facebook is working with major wireless carriers in the U.S. to add LTE support to the watch. That means it doesn't need to be connected to a phone to work. The new watch will come in white, black, and gold. Facebook hopes that initial sales will reach six figures. That's only a small fraction of the total market: Apple sold 34 million smartwatches last year, according to Counterpoint Research.
Facebook expects future versions of the watch to serve as the primary input device for augmented reality glasses, which Zuckerberg believes will one day be as ubiquitous as cell phones. The company plans to use technology it acquired from CTRL-Labs, a startup that has developed wrist-controlled computer wristbands.
The first version of the watch will go on sale in the summer of 2022. Facebook is already working on the second and third generations, which will appear in the following years. According to recent discussions, their cost will be about $ 400, but this may change. Unlikely, but Facebook could also abandon the intention completely, due to the fact that the watches have not yet entered mass production and do not even have an official name.
In 2013, Facebook partnered with HTC to release a phone that was a huge flop. The company has yet to release sales figures for its Oculus VR headset and Portal video chat display. In recent interviews, executives said that sales of the Oculus Quest 2 headset have outpaced all previous Oculus versions combined.
Facebook has apparently been thinking about making smartwatches for years. In 2019, it considered acquiring fitness tracker maker Fitbit before it was acquired by Google. Since then, Facebook has spent an estimated $1 billion on the development of the first version of the watch, with hundreds of employees working on it.
A company spokesperson declined to comment for this story. The Information previously reported that Facebook is building a smartwatch with health and messaging features, but no information about cameras or other details has been released.
The smartwatches will run on a custom version of Google's Android operating system. They will support a suite of apps from Facebook and its partners, as well as corresponding mobile apps. However, it is not yet known whether Facebook's development will find a response from users, as smartwatches with cameras have not gained popularity, and Apple has already captured the top of the market.