A perfect smartwatch doesn’t exist! At least for Android devices. Although Google’s Wear OS is feature-rich and all, it just does not get a chance to stand against the likes of Apple’s Watch OS. While Samsung is doing great with its Tizen OS, you must own a Samsung device to taste its sweetness. While OnePlus is purportedly working on its own interface based on Wear OS, it might not be coming anytime soon. Hence, there is a lot of space for manufacturers in the smartwatch market, and looks like Facebook is planning to fill this space. According to a recent report, Facebook is secretly working on its smartwatch which runs on Android.
The report comes to us from The Information. The anonymous sources speaking with the publication says that this device would ship with Android OS. Not just that, this watch will feature health tracking, messaging, and various other fitness options. As you would expect, users can send or receive messages with Facebook services like Messenger and WhatsApp. While we have seen Facebook and various other messaging apps available for Wear OS, Watch OS, and Tizen OS, we clearly haven’t seen a wearable OS that supports WhatsApp application. As this watch is coming from the parent company, we can also expect WhatsApp integrations here.
As for the OS, this watch could run a version of Android OS itself (not the Wear OS). The publication also posits that Facebook is working on its own operating system for all its hardware devices and it is quite possible that the Facebook smartwatch could come with homegrown OS based on Android. Facebook also plans to sell the smartwatch at close to its production cost, just like they did with their Oculus headset. While there is no word around the pricing yet, we can expect it to be launched between $200 to $400. While a smartwatch running Android sounds like a great deal at this price, it is not at all likely for those who have concerns about Facebook’s data collection and privacy.
The smartwatch is not the first consumer hardware from the company as they have already launched Oculus, portal cameras, and tablet devices which were sold moderately. The smart display that Facebook launched did receive a data collection outcry from the privacy advocates. But that did not stop consumers from buying the product and the same story might repeat as far as the watch is concerned. But then again, this foray into smartwatches would inch Facebook toward the CEO’s aim of controlling the next computing platforms after smartphones. Sources with direct knowledge of the device claim that the company is planning to sell this smartwatch in 2022.
Now, could this Facebook smartwatch compete with the Apple Watch, which is one of the most liked and sold wearables in the market? Well, very recently, a report suggested that more than 100 million people around the globe own an Apple Watch. Considering the numbers, it is definitely a tough game for Facebook to win. According to some analysts, they do not expect Facebook to become a major player in the space, at least not right away. Mark Shmulik, an analyst at A.B. Bernstein said “I don’t think it will compete with the Apple Watch, but it could give them the learnings they need to go where they want to go in hardware and operating systems.”
Tom Forte, an analyst at investment bank D.A. Davidson says “My long-standing thesis is that advertising is Facebook’s core business, and e-commerce and, in this instance, hardware are hobbies.” Meaning, hardware products like a smartwatch or anything for that matter are “less important initiatives by the company as its long-term success is depended on them.” At this time we do not have any specification details or possible design details around the Facebook smartwatch. Stay tuned for more Facebook smartwatch coverage.
