Sony’s weird Wena isn’t a smartwatch, it’s a smart watch strap

[freemexy]

Sony’s weird Wena isn’t a smartwatch, it’s a smart watch strap

In 2015 Sony saw that the smartwatches of the time were mostly awful, and many people owned traditional watches they loved. As a result, the company developed the Wena watch strap, which has an OLED screen in the clasp to subtly convert regular watches into smartwatches. The product was initially sold on Sony’s own crowdfunding platform, and was subsequently made available in Japan. Fast forward four years, and Sony has decided to release the Wena strap in the U.K.smart bracelet watch bluetooth

Releasing a four-year-old piece of tech in a new market is an unusual move, but in the case of the Wena strap, its functionality and usefulness hasn’t dulled over time. It’s also still one of the only products of its type. All of the technology is built into the clasp itself, which shows notifications on a tiny OLED screen. Choose the Wena Wrist Pro and it will attach to any watch that takes an 18mm, 20mm, or 22mm strap. It weighs 85 grams, and uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone.

A Sony app manages the Wena Wrist Pro, which also tracks steps, calories, and sleep should you decide to wear it at night. It supports contactless payments, too, and the battery inside lasts around a week before it needs recharging, which is performed using a proprietary connector. Otherwise, it looks like just about any other metal band, and comes in either stainless steel or black. Once fitted to your watch, the casual onlooker would never know it was a smart, connected device.
In addition to the Wena Wrist Pro, Sony has the Wena Wrist Active, which is a two-in-one, and very unusual. It’s an activity tracker with an OLED screen on the underside of the strap, like the Wena Wrist Pro; but this time it’s attached to a silicon rubber strap and has GPS, and a heart rate tracker onboard. Cleverly, you can add the watch body of your choice to the Wena Wrist Active by using special connectors that can attach any watch face to the strap. When you want to hit the gym, take the watch body off and it becomes a fitness tracker again.