Meta Platforms is once again said to have resumed the development of a smartwatch which might have built-in cameras. The project was first reported to have begun in 2021 but was shelved less than a year later as the company prioritised development of other wrist wearables. According to a report, the smartwatch project has been revived and it could be introduced as early as September 2025, arriving as a companion to the Meta AI glasses.
According to a DigiTimes report, Meta has revived its smartwatch project and this development is timed with the Meta Connect conference which takes place between September 17–18 in the US. Huaqin Technology, based in China, is said to be the primary manufacturer of the purported wearable.
While details remain under wraps, the Meta smartwatch could arrive with a built-in camera that would act as a differentiator when put up against the likes of the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch. Its inclusion could enable artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
However, the report contradicts itself later on and goes on to say that “it’s unclear if the smartwatch will debut at the upcoming Meta Connect event”. This makes the future of the Meta smartwatch uncertain, but it isn’t the first time that will have happened.
The project was first reported in 2021, with the smartwatch being codenamed “Milan”. At the time, it was believed to be a watch with a screen that is curved around the edges. The purported Meta smartwatch was said to carry a front-facing camera at the bottom of the display and a physical control button on the right side of the frame.
Meta’s smartwatch prototype which surfaced in 2022
Photo Credit: Bloomberg
A few months later, a dual-camera smartwatch being developed by Meta’s Reality Labs division surfaced. In a report, we even saw an image showing the front and back of a prototype of the smartwatch, having a 5-megapixel camera and a 10-megapixel camera, respectively. It featured a gold-coloured casing that had two buttons on one side.
However, this project was ultimately shelved in June 2022. Reports suggested that the second camera had caused issues with an in-development feature that would’ve allowed the wearer to control the smartwatch by converting nerve signals from the wrist into digital commands.
