What you need to know
- Meta was allegedly working on an Android smartwatch with a camera.
- The project was reportedly scrapped in 2022 as a result of cost-cutting.
- New images reveal a new version of the smartwatch that may be in development.
Meta's smartwatch ambitions may not be completely dead, as a new leak points to the company giving the effort some new life.
Tipster Kuba Wojciechowski, known for his Pixel leaks, has revealed new images of the supposed smartwatch provided to him by an anonymous source. From the images, it looks as if work on this new smartwatch is well underway, as the device is shown functioning with the watch face turned on.
According to Wojciechowski, the device runs Android and not Wear OS, and it's a "new iteration" of the previous watch that was leaked in 2021. Based on the images, the two devices look very similar, minus the black frame. There's even a notch at the bottom for the camera.
Apparently, Meta still wants wearables to play a role in the Metaverse. Wojciechowski says the company apparently wants to use the smartwatch to help ease the transition to other devices.
When the original smartwatch first made the rounds, it was said that Meta wanted to create a device with LTE connectivity that would connect to the company's messaging apps and come with some health-focused features. It was said that such a watch would launch in 2022, while a follow-up would arrive in 2023. However, the first watch was reportedly canceled in mid-2022, and smartwatch development would reportedly halt late last year.
Interestingly, it seems all may not be lost, and Meta may be reconsidering its stance while reusing its previous design. Wojciechowski points out that there are small cosmetic differences and changes to the sensor array, but it's physically very similar to the first version.
As for when or if the device will ship, that's anyone's guess.
