Leaked photo reveals Meta plans competitor to Apple Watch

Representative Images | File photo: Bloomberg

Form of words:

MEta Platforms Inc., Co. whom you know Facebook Inc. is developing a smartwatch with a front-facing camera and circular screen, according to an image of the device found inside a tech giant’s iPhone app.

The photo shows a watch with a screen and cover that is slightly curved at the edges. The front-facing camera – as you see on a smartphone – is visible under the display, and on the right is a control button for the watch.

Found inside the company’s app to control the image New smart glasses launched in partnership With Ray-Ban. photo was located by App Developer Steve Moser and shared with bloomberg news. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment.

The watch has a detachable wrist strap and what appears to be a button on the top of the watch case. Its larger display mimics the style of Apple Inc.’s watch – rather than the more basic fitness trackers sold by Google’s Fitbit and Garmin Ltd. The camera suggests that the product will be used for videoconferencing, a feature that sets Meta’s device apart. Apple’s smartwatch doesn’t have a camera, and neither do rival products from companies like Samsung Electronics Co.

Facebook is planning to launch its first watch in early 2022, but according to a person with knowledge of the matter, a final decision on the timing has not yet been made and the launch could happen later. The person said the company is working on three generations of the product, aimed at different release time frames. The device in the image may ultimately represent a version that has never been released, but it is the first evidence of the company’s work on the project.

The Verge previously reported on Facebook’s Watch plan, which states that the device will have a . may also be involved heart rate monitor.

The presence of the image in the Glasses app, called Facebook View, may indicate that the watch will also be managed on iPhone and Android devices using that app. The code inside the software indicates that the clock can be labeled “matching”. The code also states that the camera will be able to capture both photos and videos and download them to the phone.

A smartwatch will be a new major hardware category for Meta, which currently sells virtual reality headsets and Portal video-chat device. on Thursday, The company said it is working on A new high-end headset codenamed “Project Cambria” that blends virtual and augmented reality. Meta has said that the watch of the future could serve as an input device or accessory for its headset.

If Meta launches the watch next year, it will go up against the next generation of Apple devices. That company is planning three new Apple watches for 2022, including the Apple Watch Series 8 with a body temperature sensor, a new low-end Apple Watch SE, and a rugged model geared towards athletes. bloomberg Is informed of.

A move to smartwatches would exacerbate the rivalry between Meta and Apple, who have battled changes in App Store policies and privacy to the iPhone operating system. Apple also plans to launch its first mixed-reality headset as early as next year, which will compete with the upcoming high-end Meta headset.—bloomberg


Read also: Goodbye, Facebook; Hello, Meta – Why the name change reflects poor judgment by Zuckerberg


subscribe our channel youtube And Wire

Why is the news media in crisis and how can you fix it?

India needs independent, unbiased, non-hyphenated and questionable journalism even more as it is facing many crises.

But the news media itself is in trouble. There have been brutal layoffs and pay-cuts. The best of journalism are shrinking, yielding to raw prime-time spectacle.

ThePrint has the best young journalists, columnists and editors to work for it. Smart and thinking people like you will have to pay a price to maintain this quality of journalism. Whether you live in India or abroad, you can Here.

support our journalism