Facebook plans first smartwatch for next summer with two cameras, heart rate monitor
2Reported today on The Verge
For the full article visit: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/9/22526266/facebook-smartwatch-two-cameras-heart-rate-monitor
Reported today in The Verge.
Facebook plans first smartwatch for next summer with two cameras, heart rate monitor
Facebook is taking a novel approach to its first smartwatch, which the company hasn't confirmed publicly but currently plans to debut next summer. The device will feature a display with two cameras that can be detached from the wrist for taking pictures and videos that can be shared across Facebook's suite of apps, including Instagram, The Verge has learned.
A camera on the front of the watch display exists primarily for video calling, while a 1080p, auto-focus camera on the back can be used for capturing footage when detached from the stainless steel frame on the wrist. Facebook is tapping other companies to create accessories for attaching the camera hub to things like backpacks, according to two people familiar with the project, both of whom requested anonymity to speak without Facebook's permission.
The idea is to encourage owners of the watch to use it in ways that smartphones are used now. It's part of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's plan to build more consumer devices that circumvent Apple and Google, the two dominant mobile phone platform creators that largely control Facebook's ability to reach people.
The planned device is Facebook's first stab at releasing hardware specifically for the wrist, opening up another area of competition with Apple at a time when the two tech giants are already at odds on other fronts. Apple has aggressively positioned itself as a protector of privacy by limiting the kinds of data that apps like Facebook can collect, while Facebook has for years been besieged by scandals regarding its handling of user data. That dynamic could create an uphill battle for Facebook to convince people to buy its forthcoming Apple Watch comp