14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook is the latest company interested in building a smartwatch, and according to a report today, the social network specifically wants to launch a product to compete against the Apple Watch.
But as compared to the Apple Watch, Facebook is aiming for more innovative features that aren’t even available on Apple’s device, including two separate cameras, according to The Verge.
More specifically, the Facebook watch will come with a camera on the front of the display that will allow for things like video calls, which at some level makes total sense and is something that’s been rumored for the Apple Watch.
But on the other hand, Facebook is also said to be considering a second camera on the back, and this is where things are getting really interesting.
Coming with LTE in the summer of 2022
By the looks of things, the Facebook watch would use the rear camera only when detached from the steel frame, allowing it to play the role of a camera hub. And the social network hopes other companies would join the fun with their own accessories, making it possible to use the camera hub in various ways, including by mounting it on a backpack.
So Facebook’s purpose is for the smartwatch to become not only a camera but also a partial smartphone replacement. For this goal, the social network also plans to add LTE support, though typical smartwatch capabilities like heart monitoring are also expected to be offered.
Interestingly, Facebook doesn’t want its first smartwatch to be very expensive, so it’ll be priced at about $400 when it launches in the summer of 2022. The company is already said to be working on the second-generation model, so Facebook wants to be here to stay, though worth knowing is the mass production hasn’t started and everything could change overnight if something goes wrong.