Sony introduced its new smartwatch made of electronic paper Thursday, only two days after details about the device surfaced.
The prototype, called the FES watch, was developed through the Japanese electronics giant's "Fashion Entertainments" project, which a company spokesman said is aimed at creating fashion products with e-paper, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The device can change its appearance based on the gestures the user makes, and it features 24 design patterns that users can choose manually. A person who worked on the project said its goal was to give electronic paper the ability to function as a fabric.
A crowdfunding campaign for the wristband started in September, and the watch has so far raised 3.5 million yen ($30,000) from over 150 supporters, surpassing its goal of 2 million yen ($17,000) in just three weeks.
The FES watch's appearance resembles that of the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S and other competitors, but it doesn't include a GPS, heart-rate monitors or other high-tech features that have been featured in most smartwatches, CNET reported.
E-paper shows black and white texts and images and doesn't need as much power to work as other mobile devices do. As a result, the FES watch's battery can last for up to 60 days.
The FES watch is the latest crowdfunded smartwatch designed to feature e-ink technology, following the footsteps of the Pebble Watch, which gained enough popularity for the development of a sequel, the Pebble Steel.
"We hid Sony's name because we wanted to test the real value of the product, whether there will be demand for our concept," a person who worked on the project said to the The Wall Street Journal.
While an official release date has yet to be revealed, Sony said those who preorder the FES will have to wait until after May of 2015 to receive it.
