Meta Halts Development of Smartwatch Mocked as 'Jjimjilbang Key'
Bloomberg "Likely Due to Technical Issues and Cost Reduction"
Bloomberg reported on the 9th (local time) that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has abandoned the development of a smartwatch.
Photo by Yanko Design website capture.
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has halted the development of its smartwatch.
Bloomberg News, citing industry sources, reported that "Meta has stopped developing a smartwatch equipped with dual cameras and is working on another wrist device."
Previously, Meta's metaverse division 'Reality Labs,' which oversees augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) strategies, had been developing a smartwatch under the codename 'Milan' for over two years.
The Milan smartwatch was characterized by having two cameras in addition to the basic functions of existing smartwatches such as exercise tracking, messaging, and music playback. The cameras were likely designed to facilitate easy use of Meta's core social networking services (SNS) like Facebook and Instagram.
Originally, this product was planned to be released next spring, with a price estimated at around $349 (approximately 437,000 KRW).
However, technical issues caused setbacks in the smartwatch development. The camera on the back of the device affected the function of converting wrist nerve signals into digital commands (electromyography, EMG).
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Bloomberg also explained that Meta's cost-cutting efforts influenced the development halt. Meta's management announced in an April conference call that they would reduce annual spending by $3 billion (approximately 3.756 trillion KRW) this year.
Meanwhile, the rubber band smartwatch design revealed in February received mixed reviews, with some calling it puzzling. In South Korea, it was even mocked as resembling a jjimjilbang (Korean sauna) key. The Milan smartwatch features a rectangular screen with blue rubber straps on both sides, reminiscent of the Meta logo.
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