Facebook said to launch dedicated video chat hardware

Facebook is reportedly working on a dedicated video chat device, according to multiple media recently, which is considered as the first product of Facebook's Building 8 Lab as well. It will be tasked to compete with Amazon Echo and Google Home, as Facebook aims to fight for a bigger hardware market share of the Internet of Things.

According to multiple reports, the upcoming device will include a notebook-size touchscreen, a wide-angle camera, built-in microphones and speakers. At present, Facebook is also testing a 360-degree camera prototype for the video chat device, and said people familiar with the matter, adding that the 360-degree camera could not be ready for its initial planned product launch.

At present, Facebook is reportedly considering using Android for its OS and the use of artificial intelligence technology is expected to improve the device's photographic performance as well as audio performance.

In fact, companies like Amazon and Google have already successfully introduced series of AI digital smart speakers for quite a long time.

As a primary interface to almost everything, this kind of hardware could be used in various social fields, such as chatting online, setting alarms, and even receiving human's commands to control lights and locks. In some degree, they could help internet giants collect necessary data and improve their services to keep their users "loyal" to their online social services as well.

Representing the ambition for hardware market as well as smart home market, Facebook's video chat device stands for a new phase in its social ambition at the same time.

Last year, the social giant set up the Building 8 Lab to develop its own hardware, trying to keep consumers locked into its social ecosystem. Once launched, the device could integrate with Facebook Messenger to attract more users.

The new device is said to be launched at the next spring's F8 developer conference.