Polyera unveils always-on, E-ink Wove Band wearable
By Robin-Leigh Chetty 19 October 2015 | Categories: newsWearables may indeed be a significant area of focus for companies in 2015, there is yet to be a true hero product in this category, in our opinion. Perhaps then, the Wove Band from flexible display specialists Polyera is the product to step into that void. The device itself is in the prototype phase, and is slated for debut in 2016, although a more precise date has not been confirmed.
In terms of look and feel, it is similar to the FES smartwatch which debuted via Sony's First Flight crowdfunding site earlier in the year. It has an e-ink display, which runs throughout the flexible band, meaning users can have larger amounts of information running vertically on the band itself, according to Polyera. That said, the company is quick to point out that it is not a smartwatch, but rather a flexible wearable. As such, it looks far more intriguing than your run of the mill Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S2.
At the moment, the Wove Band runs a version of Android 5.1 as its native OS, but the full extent of Android app integration is not known yet. The display resolution is 1080x200, with the band itself measuring 156 mm long and 30 mm wide. Powering its capacitive multi-touch display is a dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor, clocked at 1.0 GHz. It also boasts a 230 mAh, battery, which powers an always-on mode courtesy of the low-energy demands of e-ink. Added to this, is 4 GB of onboard storage and 512 MB of RAM, placing it on par with most smartwatches on the market today.
As for how far Polyera can push the Wove Band's functionality, much remains to be seen, but it certainly is one of the more intriguing looking wearables out there today. Applications for Wove Band prototypes are available now, but they are limited to those residing in the States.
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