Facebook is planning to launch its first smartwatch, possibly in the summer of 2022, that will have a dual-camera display that can be detached for taking photos and videos, The Verge reported on Wednesday (June 9), citing sources and adding that the social network has not confirmed the details.
The social media giant spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion to develop the first version of its watch and reportedly has hundreds of people working on the effort, a source told the news outlet.
Facebook is reportedly teaming with other firms to develop accessories that would make the camera attachable to backpacks or other such items, the sources told The Verge. This is Facebook’s first attempt at developing hardware just for the wrist. Employees have said the watch could retail for about $400. The device has not been given an official name and could plan could possibly be dropped.
The company is said to be in talks with wireless carriers so the watch could support LTE without the need for it to be associated with a smartphone, the sources told The Verge.
Future versions of the watch could work with Facebook’s planned augmented reality glasses. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that the glasses will someday be as universal as smartphones.
Facebook said in January that its connected smart glasses would be released sometime in 2021. Apple’s connected glasses project was reportedly in the second phase of development as of January and is said to be an augmented reality accessory. Startups also are vying to get a piece of the market, with GlassesUSA rolling out its Revel Tune Smart Audio Glasses.
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The wearables market was worth about $70 billion annually in November 2020, and forecasts are pointing toward double-digit percentage growth in the coming years. Meanwhile, the newest frontier for wearables could be sensors sewn directly into clothing, embedded into sneakers, or even attached to the skin.
