Sony was reported to have been working on an e-ink equipped smartwatch and now we have confirmation thanks to the official announcement of the FES (Fashion Entertainment Watch). The watch was available to check out online for some months now but never grabbed attention as it was put on a Japanese website as a crowdfund project without the Sony branding. The FES Watch did achieve its funding goal of around $8,500 (Rs. 5.2 lakhs approx.) and managed to raise a little more than $20,000 (Rs. 12.2 lakhs approx.).
The highlight of the watch is its thin design and, of course, the way it uses e-ink to change the design of the watch face and the wrist band as well. It comes with 24 design patterns, that change the watch face and the strap to give completely new looks. Thanks to the adoption of e-ink, the watch is said to have a battery life of about 60 days which is excellent. There is no other feature mentioned and since the change in design is the only 'smart' feature claimed by Sony, we are presuming that it might not be as smart as Sony claims it to be.
One of the project coordinators said, “We hid Sony’s name because we wanted to test the real value of the product, whether there will be demand for our concept.” This makes sense as Sony has not been doing all that well in the mobility sector and while some of its smartphones are popular, its wearable department has engendered little response. The watch is being offered for $167 (Rs. 10,200 approx.) on the crowdfunding website and is expected to start shipping in May 2015. However there is no confirmation if this product will be sold commercially.
Would you be interested in an e-ink smartwatch?
Source: Mashable