Facebook apparently has its hands in more industries than we ever knew about because the company supposedly has a smartwatch in the works.
Not only that, but it comes with a 1080p removable camera according to The Verge.
We know that Snap constantly flirts with wearables but this news about Facebook is something else entirely. Sure, we can see why Facebook would want a watch of all things, but a removable camera is…interesting.
There’s also a lot of potentially cool things they could do with that when it comes to Instagram and livestreaming. So, what are the rumored features of the smartwatch aside from the removable camera?
The company plans on tackling Apple head-on with its watch. Eventually, it is theorized, the watch will be part of a larger ecosystem of Facebook devices that will work together, again, a la Cupertino. The watch will run using Facebook’s own version of Google’s Android operating system and will encourage its own app ecosystem. There is even a tie between the watch and Facebook’s acquisition of CTRL-labs. PetaPixel reports that the firm specializes in wrist-based controls for the PC and it would make sense for Zuckerberg’s company to acquire them if they were planning out a range of wearable devices.
None of this really answers the question “why” Facebook would want to do this. One theory is that this is part of the platform’s attempt at lessening its dependence on Google’s Android devices and Apple’s iOS gear to get its content in front of someone’s face. If Facebook makes their own smartphones, watches, etc., the theory goes, they can control how it all plays out. It’s a pretty credible theory when you really think about it. Whether it will work or not is a whole other thing entirely. After all, Apple is hugely dominant in smartwatches. Plus, Apple and Google are not going to let a new competitor into the smartphone space without a fight.
Does a Facebook smartwatch sound like a relevant product to you? Let us know what you think of Facebook’s latest initiative in the comments section below if you like.
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