Sony crowdfunding new e-paper smart watch

In spite of the fact that e-paper displays make a lot of sense in smart watches, these display technologies have not taken off the way many would think. The superior capability of full LCD screens has found appeal among consumers of the Apple Watch and Android Wear watches. Pebble is still hanging on with its line of smart watches, although its devices use TFT LCD screens, which are referred to as e-paper but are not as energy-efficient as E Ink displays.

Sony is now trying to crowdfund a new smart watch called the FES Watch U, which appears to be using E Ink technology, although the company said it is employing an active matrix e-paper display. The watch display is monochrome and flashes black when it refreshes, just as E Ink does to avoid ghosting the previous image.

The FES Watch U is actually Sony's second crowdfunding effort for a smart watch. The design is quite similar to the previous FES smart watch as well. This includes a flexible display that wraps around the wristband. When users want to change the style of the watch face, the entire band will change to match. It is a neat trick that emphasizes style over specifications, which was the goal of the original FES smart watch. The limitations of E Ink displays mean the FES Watch U could never compete with the likes of the Apple Watch based on capability. Good-looking devices, however, are increasingly important in the wearables world. Sooner or later, most common fashion accessories might have some kind of microchip in it. The other advantage of the E Ink display is not having to recharge the device every day, which is a common problem with more power-hungry smart watches.

The FES Watch U is only available in Japan for now, and it requires at least 44,710 yen, or about $437, to get one. The Apple Watch started originally at $349, although the price of its least expensive sports model has since fallen, with rumors saying the company is getting ready to introduce a model. If Sony reaches its goal by October 7, it aims to start shipping the FES Watch U by April 2017.

One of the pitfalls of E Ink is that the displays are much more expensive than LCDs. China makers looking at e-paper displays are more likely to use TFT LCD screens. Many of these watches range from $15 to $50 as companies try fiercely to undercut each other in the wearables market. The race to the bottom can certainly be a concern, although companies such as Xiaomi have proven that quality and price do not always have to be positively correlated.