It looks like Facebook doesn’t want to leave the smartwatch market to Apple and Google, with the latest rumor — coming from The Information — suggesting it too is working on a wearable device of its own.

What’s the story?

From what we’re getting, the Facebook Watch may be released as early as next year, boasting a cellular connection of its own to allow it to work even without a connected smartphone.

Also, it will reportedly be focused on health and messaging, providing users with on-wrist access to their Facebook buddies.

On the health front, the company is planning connectivity with other companies’ hardware and software, such as Peloton.

The wearable will initially run Android, with the idea to perhaps switch to Facebook’s own platform down the road.

The context

Facebook is not really a hardware company and outside of Oculus, its device efforts led nowhere. Remember the Facebook Phone or the Portal smart screen — none managed to garner enough users.

That being said, Facebook did learn from its phone mistake and have moved many of the features developed for its handset into its smartphone apps (chat heads). The same can’t be said about Portal but who knows where that technology will be used one day.

In any case, we’d like to see someone disrupting the smartwatch market which is now dominated by Apple Watch. Facebook certainly has resources to create a good wearable device, but will it took off?

We’ll follow this story and get back to you as soon as we have something new to add. Stay tuned…