Facebook is building a smartwatch that it hopes to start selling next year, according to people with direct knowledge of the device. The watch will allow users to send messages using Facebook services and will also offer health and fitness features, according to four of those people.
Facebook’s planned foray into smartwatches would take the company further toward CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s goal of controlling the next computing platforms after smartphones. In recent years, the social network has expanded to selling hardware to consumers, introducing Oculus virtual reality headsets and their line of home video calling devices. But it has not yet entered the smartwatch market popularized by companies like Apple, Huawei and Fitbit, which now belongs to Google.