The fashion entertainment owned by Sony made a presentation of the new e-paper watch at the IFA customer electronics show alongside its predecessor. The original FES watch didn’t manage to make its way beyond Japan. However, it certainly got attention that made the launch of the new FES watch U possible. The new device is noticeably smaller compared to the predecessor, which is bigger, more compact and has a recessed display.
Just as the first FES, this device is not considered as a smart watch. As it will not inform you on your calls, send calendar alerts or even enable you see your incoming messages. It is considered more of a connected watch, whose bracelet can be customized. It uses the electronic paper for its complete body i.e. the strap and face. Actually its main emphasis lies on style and fashion accessory, as it has no smart-watch features.
Support iPhone
There is actually no extra functionality with the new FES, however there will be several designs to select from with the assistance of your smartphone companion app. As at now, the application can effectively run well with an iPhone device, thus a limiting factor for many who do not have an iOS smartphone. However, the android support is still under consideration.
Features and Design
The functionality of the new device still remains similar to its predecessor, however the design has significantly changed. The new second generation FES appears more of a watch unlike the predecessor, which was chunkier. The device has a motion sensor. This means it senses whenever you raise your arm to look at the time or when the face turns towards the watch, which is often used on the Samsung gear and android wear smart-watches.
Both the wristband and face of this device will be made from an e-paper material that is patented, enabling the whole surface act as display. This will certainly give Sony’s wearable the wow factor. It seems more comfortable to put on, as it has adopted a curvy strap as opposed to the original FES watch that was slightly squared (awkward shape).In regards to its casing, it is thicker (a positive thing) and has a button at the edge of the casing. The band and interface color change of the watch often switch.
In comparison to the original device, the new FES watch U has 12 more extra designs you can select from if you intend to customize. The device has the ability of storing twenty-four designs. You can select your design preference by simply pushing your device’s button without having to use the application. Along with the patterns, there are images displayed on the strap, which include both calendar and time information. It has a 3-week battery life and is waterproof. The device comes in a cheap version, which has a silver casing and white detailing. There is also the premium version, which comes in black with a sapphire glass and steel watch body.
Expectations
The device holds too much potential. Individuals would appreciate if it was a little bit smarter, instead of only offering the date and time together with the customization (monochrome). However, it is a standard watch that is highly regarded as cool. All that is needed is a bit of smartphone notification addition with overlaid band options for the design.
Even without having to sacrifice the battery life, the advancement can still be incorporated. For instance, the Tago Arc smart bracelet (displays monochrome patterns) tends to draw power through the NFC connection from your smartphone, thus doesn’t require charging.
A year ago the LookSee labwent abitquiet while working on the E-ink screen which can display texts, smartphone notifications, maps, QR codes and boarding passes. The battery life will last a whole year with just a single charge, an update each hour(even more).On the other hand the batter may last 2 months and have an update after every ten minutes.
Price
Despite its fancy look and unique material used to make it, the device’s price still remains extremely expensive. The premium black has a price tag of 59,940 yen, which is approximately585 dollars. On the other hand the cheaper white-silver version goes for 49,680 yen, which is 485 dollars. While the original FES, its predecessor cost about 240 dollars(29,700 yen).
There was a confirmation received from one of Sony’s rep at the IFA 2016, which stated that the premium black version is around 600 euros while the cheaper version goes for 500 euros.
See Also: Asus ZenWatch 3 Launched: Different Looks with Circular Design
Conclusion
The novel FES watch U is currently on Makuake, a Japanese crowd-funding site, till the 7th of October this year. Conversely, unlike its predecessor, there is a high chance that it will sale even beyond Japan. Apart from Japan the original FES only made its way to the US.
In short, the main focus was on what a watch can be made of and not what it can do. Even though a novel Sony smart-watch has not been witnessed ever since the smart-watch 3, maybe Sony has great global plans for the device.
