- Sony (NYSE:SNE) is prepping a smartwatch whose "face and wrist band will be made from a patented material that allows the entire surface area to function as a display and change its appearance," Bloomberg reports. The product could arrive as soon as next year.
- Aside from providing more usable surface area, an e-paper smartwatch might also be less power-hungry than rival offerings using LCDs or OLEDs. The product is reportedly being developed by a new business unit created by CEO Kazuo Hirai to fast-track promising ideas (previous).
- Sony's existing SmartWatch 3 (launched in September) features a 1.6" LCD, and (like many rival offerings) runs on Google's Android Wear platform. All signs suggest initial sales have been limited. The Apple Watch is expected to begin shipping in early 2015.