Apparently unsaturated by moving users’ personal data on its platforms, Facebook hopes to get their health data as well. The company allegedly built a smartwatch as a next attack in hardware, and the device could launch as early as next year, according to a Friday report from the information.
It is said that the smartwatch will work on Android, although it is unclear whether it will use Google’s Wear OS, as Facebook is believed to be trying to build its own operating system for future hardware companies, according to people with direct knowledge of the device. with the exit under the state of anonymity. The watch will reportedly have access to the internet via a cellular connection, so no smartphone needed, and features messaging, health and fitness features.
Obviously, all of these features will boast built-in compatibility with Facebook’s existing platforms, as the company no doubt wants to leverage its huge social network to gain an edge over Fitbit, Apple and other titans in the smartwatch. With the device, users can track their workouts with friends, connect with their trainer, and offer a kind of quick chat feature without picking up a smartphone. Along the way, Facebook also plans to make its devices compatible with health and fitness products from companies like Peloton, as well as launch versions that are capable of interacting with Facebook’s future devices, such as the range of augmented reality glasses apparently cooked up.
Facebook plans to debut the first version of its smartwatch by next year, with plans for a second generation starting in 2023, one person informed on the timeline told the information. Although there were no specific price points in the report, it claims that ‘Facebook is expected to sell its watch at the cost of manufacturing it’, which is a tactic that the company with its Oculus Virtual Reality Headers.
According to the information, Mike’s chief technology officer, Mike Schroepfer, said at a general meeting for employees in December that the company plans to continue with hardware and increase its investments in portable devices. The smartwatch will join Facebook’s growing hardware ecosystem, which includes its Oculus VR headphones and Portal video streaming devices, as well as a few rumors projects allegedly at work. Facebook did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, but we will update this blog.
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Given Facebook’s record of privacy steps, this latest venture looks like a disaster waiting to happen. The company has fallen so very red flags over the years to indicate that distributing your health data to them is a very stupid idea. When this smartwatch finally sees the light of day (the report said the development is quite far, but Facebook may still be able to do the project), I give it two or three months before the scandalous headlines start rolling in, followed by Facebook issuing another . half-hearted apology.
We’ve been through this cycle so many times, guys. I am tired.