Facebook Meta could be working on a smartwatch with a front-facing camera and slightly rounded screen, according to images found in one of the company’s iPhone apps.
As reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, app developer Steve Moser found the picture of the smartwatch inside Meta’s ‘View’ app used to control the company’s new smart glasses. The image depicts a watch with a square shape and heavily rounded corners.
Interestingly, the watch also sports a display notch that houses a camera. Many smartphones incorporate a notch to fit in a selfie camera while also minimizing wasted space around the display. However, the Meta smartwatch bucks the usual trend and places the notch on the bottom of the display.
Bloomberg reports that the watch features a control button on the right side, detachable wrist straps and what appears to be a button on the top of the watch case.
Meta could launch a smartwatch as early as 2022, but Bloomberg says the company hasn’t made a final decision on timing. A source familiar with the product confirmed to Bloomberg that Meta was working on three generations of the watch aimed at different release time frames.
The watch’s presence in the View app suggests it could be managed through that app when it launches, similar to Meta’s smart glasses. Further, code inside the app indicates Meta could call the watch ‘Milan.’ Finally, the watch could act as an input device or accessory for Meta’s virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR) headsets.
Bloomberg notes that if Meta does launch a smartwatch next year, it might need to contend with three new Apple Watch models — an Apple Watch Series 8, a new Watch SE and possibly a rugged Apple Watch aimed at athletes.
Source: Bloomberg