Dual-Camera Meta Watch Reportedly Canceled, But Not Before It Leaked

Facebook, which now goes by the name Meta, remains one of the biggest and most influential social networks despite all of the controversies it has spawned. That doesn't mean, however, that everything always goes the company's way, and the plans and projects it works on don't always see the light of day, either. A case in point is the long-rumored smartwatch, which is now reportedly canceled due to a variety of factors. That, however, isn't a sign that Meta is calling it quits on wearables and it might, in fact, have something more ambitious in the works with an eye on the metaverse.

The Meta Watch, as it is now being called, might not have been that successful if it had been launched. Its defining feature would have been its alleged two-camera design, with one under the display and one on the opposite side facing the wearer's wrist or the rest of the world. The idea was for users to easily pop off the watch from its strap and snap images for Facebook and Instagram. The presence of those cameras would have been controversial for its privacy implications, but the watch's other alleged features would have also alienated all but the most avid Facebook fan.

This biggest issue is that the smartwatch's alleged sole purpose was to function as a Facebook and Instagram device, not something more generic like an Apple Watch or Wear OS smartwatch. Bloomberg now reports that this project, codenamed Milan, has been canned for a variety of reasons, including the very feature that was supposed to be its selling point.

According to the scoop, that second camera proved to be disastrous for another major alleged Meta Watch feature. The wearable was supposed to be able to use electromyography to translate nerve signals into actions. This would make the smartwatch a viable controller for the Metaverse, especially when using sticks, wands, and even gloves would have been inconvenient. Unfortunately, that backside camera is said to have conflicted with the sensor, so the smartwatch wouldn't have helped Meta further its goals.

There is also the possible cost of the product's R&D as a reason for its cancellation. Meta reported that it would be making cost cuts, which naturally means canning projects and products in the process. It also meant a change in direction for existing products like Portal, which has been turned away from being a consumer product into a business tool for video conferencing. The smart display could still play a role in the Metaverse, even as a simpler way to interact with virtual objects.

In the end, Meta's decisions are unsurprisingly being driven by its newfound mission, and so will any plan for a wearable device moving forward. The company is still working on other wearables, particularly wrist-worn devices, and it will most likely still play around with electromyography to allow wearers to control their Metaverse avatar easily. For now, however, those keeping watch on the arrival of the Meta Watch can stop holding their breath, especially those who might have been horrified at the thought of a mass-produced camera device made by the company formerly known as Facebook.