Sony unveils new version of its hybrid smartwatch in Japan

If you remember Sony’s Wena Wrist, an analog-style smartwatch made by Sony’s internal incubator, then you might be interested to know that Sony created a new version of this. Called the Three Hands Square, this hybrid smartwatch comes with a square body and a round face. Made specifically for women, it features an 18mm, 20mm, and 22mm case options. There’s also a new leather strap option. However, that would mean you’ll lose the notification function from the steel band. You still do get NFC, though.

But the steel bands are also being sold separately so you can mix and match. The steel band and the watch face will go on sale in Japan later this month. The watch itself has a starting price of 10,380 yen (around CA$120), while the steel band will cost at least 33,880 yen (around CA$390). If you want to wait for the leather band that’s coming out in late December, it costs 8,380 yen (around CA$95). No word if these watches will make its way out of Japan.

Source: The Verge

Sony’s Wena smartwatch takes aim at luxury brands

A side-project by a small team from Sony is looking to be an example luxury watch brands should emulate if they intend to enter the smartwatch space. The Wena Wrist, which was successfully crowdfunded through Sony’s First Flight platform for employee pitches, isn’t the “smartest” smartwatch out there but it has enough tech to get some users by and still retails that classic look of a chronograph. Designed by the Wena team and manufactured by Citizen, this watch still looks like a simple chronograph but has tech that lies within the watch’s band. Its strap has an NFC chip that supports Japanese FeliCa standard for mobile payments; a pedometer for basic activity tracking; and a clasp that’ll light up and vibrate when you get a notification on your smartphone.

The project is in its early stages and there isn’t the iOS app to show off the features yet. The Wena team hopes to launch the device in Japan sometime next year. And once they do that, they might consider an international release and Android compatibility.

Source: Engadget