LONDON: Meta on Thursday reportedly shelved plans for the development of a Facebook smartwatch with two built-in cameras and is instead working on other wrist devices.
The device had reportedly been planned for release in autumn 2023 for around $349. However, development halted after technical issues and general cost-cutting at Meta.
The device, which would have rivaled Apple Watch and Google Pixel Watch, was in development for at least two years under the project name “Milan” in Meta’s Reality Labs division.
The Facebook watch would have been the first of its own to feature two cameras, a 5-megapixel camera located at the front and a 12-megapixel camera at the back, against the wrist.
Users would have been able to remove the watch face from its strap to take photos. The removable watch face had a gold casing with two buttons on the side, very similar to the Apple Watch.
Users would have been able to access popular apps like Spotify, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories, as well as daily activity tracking, workouts, photo gallery, heart rate monitoring, calendar, settings, and breathing.
Other key features were WiFi, GPS, cellular connectivity via eSIM, and 18-hour battery life.
Apple Watch users manage their apps through their iPhone, whereas Meta smartwatch users would have managed theirs through their Facebook accounts.
