Meta Smartwatch Might Be Facebook's Portable Portal Device
The biggest news in the tech and media industry today is Facebook's new name. Whether you agree that Meta is a better or worse name, it does indicate the company's growing ambitions to take over almost every facet of our modern lives. Of course, its social networks, which include Instagram and WhatsApp, already dominate a large chunk of the digital world, but the newly-renamed company might be working on new hardware to help reach its goals. One of the first devices might actually be Facebook's long-rumored smartwatch, which could be controversial for having a feature no other smartwatch has.
A smartwatch with a camera isn't exactly unheard of. Samsung's first-ever smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, had one that actually faced the outside world. The nubia alpha, which was basically a smartphone wrapped around your wrist, also had a camera that at least faced the wearer.
The "Meta Watch" that's being reported by Bloomberg follows the latter design, with a camera sitting at the bottom of the screen. Given its orientation and the company behind it, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict this will be used more for making video calls than taking selfies. After all, the Facebook Portal, the social media giant's only hardware product line (outside of Oculus), was designed just for that purpose as well.
The smartwatch's design, discovered in an iPhone app for controlling the smart glasses made by Ray-ban for Facebook, features a unique "squircle" design as opposed to the Apple Watch's square or the more common circular smartwatches. The small image also indicates removable watch straps and an inconspicuous button to the side of the body.
This wouldn't be the first time Facebook has been reported to be working on a smartwatch, but it is perhaps the first time that evidence of one has ever surfaced. Launching such a device could be a perfect opportunity for the newly christened Meta to prove that it is growing beyond just the Facebook brand. That said, it also puts it in even more opposition to Apple, which is expected to launch three new Apple Watches next year, perhaps with the much-rumored new design as well.