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Facebook is building a smartwatch that is expected to launch in 2022, according to reports.
The watch will focus on Facebook’s suite of apps, such as Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp, to message each other and to integrate with apps from health and fitness companies, including Peloton, as documented by The Information.
Facebook’s smartwatch will have a built-in cellular connection, so it could work separately from your paired cell phone, presumably so users don’t need to carry a second device while walking or exercising.
The smartwatch will come with Google’s Android operating system, but the report indicates that Facebook intends to design its own operating system.
Facebook declined to comment when questioned by The independent.
That said, the company’s reputation for lack of data privacy can prove to be a tough hurdle for a smartwatch to overcome.
A smartwatch would provide the company with more personal data on fitness and sleep habits, which the company could sell to advertisers and take advantage of.
In February 2020, a report from Strategy Analytics suggests that Apple shipped nearly 31 million units in 2019, compared to only shipping approximately 21.1 million units from brands like Swatch and TAG Heuer.
