Upcoming third-party Apple Watch band adds both FaceTime and external cameras

There have long been reports that Apple is exploring the possibility of adding a FaceTime camera to the Watch, but it hasn’t happened yet and it’s unclear if or when it will. If you don’t want to wait, Glide is working on a band that adds both a 2MP selfie cam and a second 8MP one for use as a general camera.

Pre-orders for the CMRA open today at $149 for early buyers, rising to $199 later and $249 retail – but the bad news is that you won’t receive it until the Spring …

The selfie cam sits just above the Watch on a slanted surface designed to align it while looking at the Watch square on. The main camera is positioned further around the band so that it should be pointed directly ahead of you as you look at the Watch face, which acts as a viewfinder.

It comes with a charging stand which charges both band and Watch simultaneously, and the unit has a built-in battery capable of recharging both devices twice, freeing you from the need to carry a cable for a weekend away. Glide says that the band has 8GB of internal storage so that it will continue to work even if the Watch is out of power.

The company says that it already has working pre-production units (we’ll be aiming to get hold of one to test), and it told Re/code that it needs the lengthy pre-order time to determine production numbers.

If you’re willing to take a chance ordering so far ahead, with the additional risk that Apple might launch a new model with a built-in camera later the same year, you can do so here. It will be available in three colors: black, white and blue, with pre-order buyers being offered a ‘limited edition’ grey also.