Tesla Is Developing A SmartWatch According To FCC Filing

We know Tesla likes to keep its products rather varied, don’t we? Yes, they obviously specialise in cars, but we’ve also found out that the company is to be involved with SpaceX, and earlier this year they built ventilators out of bits they had lying about the warehouse, and let’s not ignore the obvious: solar technologies. It’s safe to say, the company’s engineers are slick. Now, according to a new GCC filing, Tesla is developing a smartwatch.

Xplora Technologies is a company that focusses on building smartwatches for kids that’s based in Norway. It’s recently filed an application with the FCC for a new smartwatch, and it’s listed Tesla as being involved with this new product. Thanks to My Healthy Apple who spotted it first.

The application obviously keeps a large proportion of the project under wraps, but “Tesla Motors” is listed in the document:

“The XPLORA Technologies AS, the undersigned, hereby authorizes Mr. Wu Xuewen from Shenzhen BALUN Technology Co., Ltd., to act on the behalf of the XPLORA Technologies AS solely in matters relating to the application for an FCC equipment authorization for FCC ID: 2AVMJX5P including the signing of documents in connection with this Application. Necessary acts carried out by Shenzhen BALUN Technology Co., Ltd. in connection with the Application shall have the same effect as acts of the Tesla Motors, Inc.”

You can see the full document in full below:

So what is Tesla planning to do, or rather, get out of this partnership? First, let’s dive into what these companies are actually after in their FCC filing. They want approval for the use of connectivity on its X5 Play / X5 Play eSIM smartwatches. This will allow the wearer to be tracked and be able to send and receive voice and text messages. Tesla is likely engaged in this partnership to gain knowledge about smartwatch software so it can itself produce software to control its cars.

The Model 3 and Model Y have both shown Tesla moving away from the standard key fob and towards in-phone technology, so surely smartwatch locking and other related features is the next step.

Or, and this is hitting it out the park a little, Tesla is looking at allowing children (and adults) to have access to its Robo Taxi fleet via a watch that identifies that person as ‘the one who ordered this taxi’. This is all very exciting stuff, and maybe, just maybe, could eventually lead to Tesla releasing a phone of some sort.

We know Tesla likes to keep everything in-house, so maybe this makes sense?