The Meta smartwatch is back – here's what we know

When it comes to the best smartwatches, many brands have a decent legacy that helps to elevate their status amongst fans. Apple Watches and the Samsung Galaxy Watch range are among those whose technological prowess preceded them, earning the trust and loyalty of consumers.

And while there are hosts of other options, too – we saw the Google Pixel Watch released late last year – this one is likely to cause a little more intrigue. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is rumoured to be back working on a smartwatch design.

We had heard rumours before this, even seeing a leaked image back in 2021. But those rumours were said to have been quashed, after the company laid off 13% of its workforce in November, with resources working on the watch said to have gone, or been redeployed elsewhere.

But now it's back. Respected tech insider, Kuba Wojciechowski, shared details from an anonymous source with images of a new design. According to the source, Meta did cancel a first version of the watch, but are still keen to press on with the project as it is important to their wider Metaverse plans.

So, what do we know about the Meta smartwatch? Well, a fair amount, given that we have a handful of images and a few specs to go on. The design is similar to the Apple Watch Series 8, with a rounded square face. Interestingly, the face also features what appears to be a camera cut-out.

On the back, we see a handful of sensors – again, nothing out of the ordinary for a smartwatch. According to Wojciechowski, these have been slightly reworked on the latest images, but its not a major redesign. The device uses a Qualcomm processor and runs on a custom Android system which isn't Wear OS.

There are no guarantees of when – or even if – this will see the light of day. But I, for one, am excited by the prospect. The camera is an intriguing addition to the smartwatch, and the promise of some grander Metaverse functionality gets the tech-lover in me interested. I'd love to see it pair up with VR wearables, like the Meta Quest Pro, to enhance the overall user experience with mixed reality.