After its foray into smartphones failed dismally, we didn’t expect to see Facebook push forward with its hardware efforts. Yet, Facebook is building a new smartwatch that is expected to launch sometime in 2022, according to The Information.
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The new wearable from the social media giant will be running on Android-based software, although it is unclear whether than means Google’s Wear OS or some forked version of Android. Facebook is also reportedly working on its own operating system that would be used on hardware devices in the future, firstly planned on new iteration of the smartwatch should they build another.
Facebook is focusing on messaging, health and fitness features, according to the report, would join Facebook’s Oculus virtual reality headsets and Portal video chat devices as part of the social network’s growing hardware ecosystem.
The company has been focused on releasing hardware for several years, starting with the HTC First in 2013. It was a phone designed by Facebook and manufactured by HTC that focused on the Facebook experience, making it easier to access and engage with the platform. Incidentally, the idea was copied by TikTok in 2019.
There are now more than 6,000 Facebook employees focused on hardware products focused on AR and VR, like Oculus and Portal. But that also includes experimental divisions under Facebook Reality Labs, as reported by Bloomberg.
No details about the upcoming wearable’s design is available yet, and Facebook declined to comment on the report. If they are planning to launch a smartwatch, it will need to offer something different in a very crowded market. Ranging from fitness companions, to all-round smartwatches, to fashion accessory pieces, there isn’t many niches left for the company to explore.
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