For those who have a hard time with the glare of gadgets, having e-ink options is actually pretty useful, but mostly it’s just for Kindle and Pebble, the latter which has already said goodbye. When Sony announced that they were behind the crowd-funded FES Watch and that it used e-ink technology, there was some interest there. Unfortunately it was only available in Japan. The good news is not that it will be available elsewhere, but that they have a new model now, the FES Watch U.
There are of course improvements and differences between the original model and the new one, specifically in the design. While the FES Watch had a pretty minimalist design, this new one now has a metal bezel, which may be a positive or negative, depending on your taste. You also are able to get more face designs by connecting your device to an app called FES Closet. They will actually be releasing new designs from “notable creators” every month so design fans should have something to look forward to.
The FES Watch U now also has a rechargeable battery which will supposedly last for 3 weeks. The previous model actually uses button cells which will are replaced every couple of years, although since the original was released only two years ago, we’d have to ask users if they have already replaced theirs.
The premium black model costs around $544 (60,000 yen) while the regular steel finish will sell for around $417 (46,000 yen). It is already available at the First Flight crowdfunding site and some fashion boutiques in Tokyo. There is no news yet if this one will be available outside of Japan, but that’s highly unlikely.
SOURCE: Sony
