San Francisco: To take on Apple, Facebook is reportedly planning to launch its first smartwatch likely to be priced around $400 that may feature a display with two cameras.
According to The Verge, the display can be detached from the wrist for taking pictures and videos that can be shared across Facebook’s suite of apps, including Instagram.
Expected to be priced around $400, the company aims to release the first version of the watch in the summer of 2022 and is already working on second and third generations for subsequent years, the report mentioned late Thursday.
The news was first reported by The Information.
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 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.
The company is working with the top wireless carriers in the US to support LTE connectivity in the watch, meaning it won’t need to be paired with a phone to work, and sell it in their stores, the people familiar with the matter said.
The watch is likely to come in white, black, and gold, and Facebook hopes to initially sell volume in the low six figures.
