Sony has heeded investor warnings and consumer cries by coming up with a Smartphone that favors form over function. Not that the Fes Watch is all style and no substance – it still does the basics, but doesn’t forfeit 99% of its desirability just to pack in a bunch of totally OTT features.
Once of the first e-paper wearables to make its way out and certainly the first ever device of its kind from Sony, the Fes has been designed with ease of use, super-long battery life and elegant simplicity in mind. Or in other words, it’s right at the other end of the spectrum from the Sony SmartWatch or the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
Boasting a wholly stripped-back monochrome design and a distinctly retro charm, it’s estimated that with regular use the Fes Watch could keep running for two months on a single charge. And while some analysts aren’t convinced that the device packs enough wallop to hit home with the masses, others insist that the very future of the wearable tech market as a whole rests on the development of devices that are superbly stylish and effortlessly easy to use.
Both the strap of the Fes and its screen are made using the same e-paper technology as that of the Pebble Smartwatch and the hugely popular Kindle e-reader range from Amazon. The idea is one whereby the user will be able to change the appearance of the face and the strap of the watch from a potentially limitless array of fully-customizable designs.
In terms of functionality however, these new-generation ‘retro’ Smartwatches will very much take things back to basics.
Interestingly, the watch itself has apparently been right in front of our eyes for some time – Sony hid the Fes in plain sight to make sure it didn’t pull in too much premature attention.
“We hid Sony’s name because we wanted to test the real value of the product, whether there will be demand for our concept,” said a Sony representative.
Sony’s Fashion Entertainments division is currently working on a series of wearables using similar technology, including glasses, shoes and even bow-ties.
