14 DAY TRIAL // A smartwatch here, a smartwatch there, a smartwatch everywhere. As the number of time-keeping wrist-bound wearables increases, we can’t help but notice their design seems to be quite similar. But SnapWatch has found a way to stand out from the crowd.
The company has announced a new smartwatch that comes with a flexible screen. Don’t get too excited just yet, as the wearable appears to be just a prototype at the moment and has just been spotted making an appearance at the Wearable Tech Show in London a few weeks ago (via Charbax).
Unlike other similar gadgets out there, the SnapWatch device comes equipped with a flexible electrochromic display and not an E-ink one.
As you can see in the video bellow, the screen isn't all that responsive, but this is just an experimental version. The company plans to use an ePaper screen in the real-deal, one that will probably be provided by E-Ink or Plastic Logic.
SnapWatch is also looking to expand beyond the barriers of the smartwatch market and offer medical bracelets as well. The bands could be strapped onto new patients arriving in the emergency room, instead of the traditional plastic ID bracelets, keeping track of patients' vital signs and registering their personal information in the hospital's system.
The SnapWatch prototype seems familiar with another leaked wearable that supposedly in the works at LG.
This is actually an LG bracelet wrap around stylus device that oddly enough goes by the name of LG G Pad 8.3 LTE (just like their tablet?). That’s apparently because the accessory will be shipped off as a gift for adopters of the LG slate and won’t be sold as a standalone product.
As opposed to the SnapWatch, the LG wearable doesn't come equipped with a screen per-se, but the concept behind the two is similar nevertheless.
Also this week, we brought you news about Samsung’s latest graphene breakthrough, which allows the material to be used in products, in the form of transistors, resulting in flexible mobile devices.
It was hypothesized graphene could end up revolutionizing computing, enabling the creation of ultra-fast PC processors and storage devices, but it appears Samsung is planning to use the discovery with upcoming wearable products.
True, small mobile processors come with a limitation performance-wise, so Samsung might have a point here.
Bottom line is that flexible wearables appear to really start taking shape, as companies struggle to provide innovative products. But the wearable market has barely taken off and is sluggish in growth, so maybe flexible screen smartwatches might draw the needed attention to these products?
