There are many smartwatches on the market today, covering a wide range of prices and uses. Now, it looks like HMD Global may be releasing a Wear OS that will have a unique feature: a camera.
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Twitter user @smashx_60 reports that HMD Global is working on two Wear OS models, the Rubber 1 and Rubber 1S. There is no information yet on the exact version of Wear OS, but the Rubber 1 is attracting attention due to its 2MP camera.
It's unclear how this camera will be used, but it could be something similar to the Samsung Galaxy Gear from the mid-2010s. That smartwatch had an outward-facing camera that allowed you to take low-quality photos of your surroundings. However, HMD could theoretically opt to place the camera on the watch face or bezel to support video calls.
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Otherwise, the two smartwatches seem to share quite a few common features. These include USB-C and wireless charging, 5ATM water resistance , Wi-Fi connectivity, and heart rate/oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring. However, the Rubber 1 seems to be positioned as the more premium offering. It is rumored to feature the aforementioned camera, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, a 400mAh battery, and a 1.85-inch OLED display.
On the other hand, the Rubber 1S does not support NFC, but comes with Bluetooth 5.0, a 290mAh battery, and a 1.07-inch OLED display.
In any case, a smartwatch with a built-in camera would be a unique proposition in the world of Wear OS devices and we are certainly looking forward to learning more.
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Based on the above, it seems that HMD Global is preparing to bring back an element that we have seen in smartwatches for a long time: the built-in camera. While previous attempts, such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear, were not particularly successful due to limitations in image quality and usability, the technology has progressed significantly. Thus, a modern implementation with Wear OS, an OLED display and features such as NFC and health monitoring, could offer a more complete and innovative useful combination.
Source: androidauthority
