Facebook is now Meta, a new corporate name for the Mark Zuckerberg-led company that is creating a metaverse, which is a combination of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality into a single platform with deep integration with apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and more. This also means a new crop of hardware to support that technology, such as the Oculus headsets. Now, a new report has claimed Meta is working on a smartwatch that will go neck and neck with the Apple Watch, and it has a camera.
Bloomberg has reported that an image of Meta’s new smartwatch was found inside the app that is used to control the Ray-Ban Stories glasses, which the company launched recently when it was still called Facebook. The glasses use inbuilt cameras to record videos and you can choose to make the Ray-Ban Stories upload videos to Facebook or Instagram right away. That ability to be virtually present on Facebook’s platforms through the camera is what may be the biggest highlight of Meta’s smartwatch.
The leaked image shows the Meta smartwatch will have a square display with rounded corners, just like on the Apple Watch. But while that may be a common design, Meta’s smartwatch will have a notched display. Yes, a notch. First introduced by Apple on the iPhone X, notches have come a long way. Recently, Apple brought the notch to its MacBook Pro, and now Meta is maybe planning to emulate Apple’s implementation with its smartwatch.
The notch on the Meta smartwatch will house the front camera so that it becomes easy for the user to start recording themselves while working out or running. A little movement of the wrist would make the camera record what is in your opposite. The camera may also find a use for video calls, something Apple or any other major smartwatch brand does not offer yet. Bloomberg’s report does not talk about the specifications of this camera, but it has mentioned the smartwatch will have detachable straps.
Meta plans to launch this smartwatch as early as 2022, according to the report, but some people familiar with the development told Bloomberg that a concrete decision has not been made yet. During its Connect conference, Zuckerberg talked about introducing new hardware in 2022, even though it might not be ready for the market by then, so maybe the smartwatch will be previewed next year. The Meta smartwatch will work with both Android and iOS phones, which means there will be some competition for the Apple Watch, which is one of the best selling smartwatches of all time.
Meta is essentially what Zuckerberg has dreamt of making Facebook into for a long time. Making compatible hardware for new technologies is one of his visions, and the smartwatch may fit right into them.
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