Facebook's hardware aspirations go beyond virtual reality. The social network is working on a video calling device that'll feature a wide-angle lens, a mic, speakers, a touchscreen between 13-and-15 inches and will maybe even run Android, according to Bloomberg's sources. Like offerings from Amazon, the unnamed Facebook video device could only cost a "few hundred dollars" when it's ready to buy.
The publication's sources say that could happen as soon as Facebook's F8 conference next spring. One potential feature is an auto-scanning camera that'd lock in on individual people in a room, a la how Microsoft's Kinect works.
The piece of kit comes from Zuck's Building 8 lab, where developers and engineers cook up experimental ideas. Beyond the video calling tablet, apparently the social network is working on an AI-powered smart speaker of its own that'd cost $100 -- similar to Amazon's Echo line, Apple's forthcoming HomePod and Google Home.
Source: Bloomberg