Sony's new smartwatch uses e-Paper tech and it's very expensive

Sony has announced its first wearable in four years at IFA 2018, and while it's does st on your wrist and tell the time, it's not what some had hoped for when dreaming of a Sony Smartwatch 4.

Instead of a Wear OS watch, the company has unveiled a new product called the Fes Watch U. It uses e-Paper technology to allow you to create your own designs all around the watch, including on the strap.

This is a similar product to a prototype device we've seen multiple times - firstly in 2014 - which was called the Fes Watch. This is the first watch from Sony using e Paer technology that will actually be on sale

It runs Sony's own software, but it won't included apps and is more fashion led than a lot of devices we'd consider to be called smartwatches.

Totally unique

Both the watch face and strap are covered in e-Paper material, that allows you to customize it from your phone with different black and white pattern designs.

It comes with a range of 100 pre-loaded designs, but you'll be able to make your own to show off and Sony has confirmed it's working with designers to make further designs too.

The Fes Watch U is going to be on sale in the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Spain from some point in September - we don't yet know if it's coming to the US or Australia - and it's set to be very expensive.

You can buy it in either silver or black, but the price is different for each with the former being £529 (about $690 / AU$940) while the latter is a whopping £699 ($900, AU$1250).

  • IFA 2018 is Europe's biggest tech show. The TechRadar team is in Berlin to bring you all the breaking news and hands-on first impressions of new phones, watches and other tech as they're announced.  
James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.