In October 2021, we saw evidence of Meta developing a smartwatch to compete with Apple’s offerings. Perhaps the most interesting detail found in the hardware was that it would house a front-facing camera that could record video and take images.

While we’ve only seen sketches of this supposed watch, the images showed an Apple Watch-like display – mostly square with rounded corners – with interchangeable bracelets and a button on the right side of the device. But now a new report claims that Meta has stopped developing this device.

Bloomberg reports that the Meta watch, codenamed Milan, has been in development for two years, but staff working on the project has been informed that the device will not be released anytime soon. It was originally scheduled to launch in 2023 at $349.

While Meta has apparently not confirmed any reports regarding this watch, there are several reasons that could lead to a halt in development activities.

The first concerns the technical characteristics of the equipment. Bloomberg says the current prototype also has a camera mounted behind the screen so you can quickly remove the straps and snap a few photos at the best angle. But this design interfered with another sensor that uses electromyography to convert your wrist movements into controller-like movements. Given Meta’s large share of the Metauniverse, this was an important requirement as it meant that the watch could be used in the Metaverse vision to control the digital experience with hand gestures.

The second possible reason relates to cost reduction measures. In its latest profit and loss statement, Meta announced that it will reduce its annual expenditures by 3 billion dollars due to the recent economic crisis. This meant that Meta had to carefully decide where to allocate their budgets and resources, and the watch could not be on that list. It’s important to note that the watch was developed by Meta’s Reality Labs, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already said that given the research and long-term projects they’re working on, the costs involved will impact profits.

Bloomberg also reviewed videos and images of the prototype. According to him, the Meta watch was supposed to have a removable gold cased dial, two buttons on one side, a 5-megapixel front camera, a 12-megapixel rear camera, internet connection and cellular communication via eSIM, social networks and tracking programs activity. . and up to 18 hours of battery life.

While the current version of the Meta watch is now under development, it’s not surprising that Meta will revert to this idea after a strategy change in the future. This is not the only project that has undergone some changes. Meta is reportedly rerouting Portal devices to meet the needs of the business. Source