Throughout the year, rumors and leaks have been about a smartwatch being developed at Meta (Facebook). We have repeatedly mentioned this topic in our articles. The first time was in February 2021, and then it was an Android (but not Wear OS) smartwatch optimized for group services (Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp). The 2022 launch was already mentioned then.
In June, we reported that the watch could have two cameras. The first is for video calls, and the second, removable, for taking photos and videos, like on a GoPro. Finally, last October, the day after the Facebook group changed its name to Meta, Bloomberg announced that the Apple Watch had inspired the American firm to design its watch case.
The Meta (Facebook) smartwatch will have 3 camera sensors and a detachable rotating screen
This week, we learned that the Meta smartwatch project could be a lot more innovative in terms of ergonomics. The patent was filed on June 24, 2021 by the firm with the global intellectual property management organization, WIPO. The latter confirmed and published the patent on January 13, 2022.
This is a document of about fifty pages, in which a watch with a removable screen is presented. In the description, you can read that "the invention relates to a portable device containing a strap, a base (β¦), a display that connects (β¦), and a camera built into the display."
The most amazing thing about this concept is obviously the removable screen that can rotate around the perimeter to adjust the orientation of the camera. While the first image (at the top of this article) shows a rectangular model like the Apple Watch with a single camera, the second image shows another model with a round screen like the Galaxy Watch, also apparently with two or even three lenses. By rotating the screen, the user can change the lens in front of the sensor and thus change the viewing angle or some parameters.
Meta still plans to release the watch in 2022. It remains to be seen what the firm will keep from its patents for the first generation, and what it will reserve for the next.
The watch has body temperature sensors, heart rate monitors, motion sensors and activity recognition sensors. These sensors are pretty common across all smartwatches, so we're not sure exactly how Meta plans to use them, perhaps for additional VR and AR capabilities, and we'd love to know.
