New details on Facebook’s first-ever smartwatch have surfaced and they reveal the hardware side of things. We first heard about this smartwatch back in February when it was reported Facebook was building a smartwatch with health and messaging as prime features. Now, the new report from The Verge adds more juicy details.
As per the report, Facebook’s first smartwatch will feature a design that is unseen before. It will feature a detachable display which the users can choose to remove from the stainless steel body. As per the details, this display will carry two cameras, one on the front and the other on the back. Users will be able to detach the display from the stainless steel band tied on their wrist for taking pictures and recording videos that can be shared across Facebook’s suite of apps.
Going further into minute details, the report states that a camera on the front of the watch display is primarily for video calling, while the back camera is a 1080p sensor for capturing footage when detached from the strap.
The report presents some other details too, according to which, Facebook is working with the top wireless carriers in the US to support LTE connectivity in the watch. This means Facebook is aiming at making its smartwatch to be self-sufficient or stand-alone where no external support from the phone is required.
The report even states this smartwatch will come in white, black, and gold color variants. Giving away more details on the matter, the report states, “Facebook hopes to initially sell volume in the low six figures.”
The tech blog has even learned that Facebook plans to use the future versions of the watch as a key input device for its upcoming AR glasses.
As per the remaining details, Facebook’s first smartwatch might be priced around $400 and is likely to launch in the US next summer.
Sounds over-ambitious?
Well, honestly, this detachable display idea looks too good to be true. It sounds over-ambitious for the first commercial smartwatch from a company that is largely known for its social media platform and some failed attempts in the hardware segment in the past. Remember its phone in collaboration with HTC in 2013?
Also, the end-users have a dangling trust in the company after it has gone through so many mishaps. So building trust for a hardware product is not going to be easy either. Let's see if we are going to hear more details on the same.