What does the Sony research team do in the spare time?
Designing a prototype product and then offering it to the crowdfunding site.
Yes, this is not a joke; Sony has its own crowdfunding platform called First
Flight, which so far only involves the backers who live in Japan.
One of the latest Sony products that are offered through
First Flight is Wena Wrist. This device is a very graceful smartwatch, which
looks more like a traditional watch rather than a smartwatch in general. The
Wena name is an abbreviation of "wear electronics naturally".
There are three main features offered by Wena Wrist. The
first feature is the electronic payment feature via the NFC that has met the
standards used in Japan. The second feature is notification, where the Wena Wist
will vibrate and LED lights on the metal strap will light up whenever there is
a notification goes into smartphone.
The last feature is the activity tracking, Wrist Wena will
calculate user's footstep and also the number of calories burned. Unfortunately
it doesn't have the heart-rate monitoring and also sleep tracking features.
But strangely, this smartwatch is compatible only with iOS
devices, though so far Sony itself is an Android smartphones manufacturer, so
customers may expect that this smartwatch can also be used together with
Android devices.
There are two variants of Wena Wrist offered: Three Hands
and Chronograph. The Three Hands variant looks minimalist and is expected can
last up to three years before the battery has to be replaced, while the
Chronograph variant can last up to five years. The strap itself has to be
charged at least once a week.
Both are expected to go on sale in March and April next
year. Three Hands variant is offered at ¥ 34,800, while the Chronograph variant
is offered at ¥ 69,800.