Making the case for a wider adoption of e-ink technology, Phosphor has introduced the World Time Sport. It uses the backlight free, low-power display technology, but also eschews the buttons that would otherwise cramp its style.
Unfortunately the slow refresh rate of e-ink has limited the functionality of Phosphor’s watches, making features like stopwatches and timers problematic. But since the display is as universal as an LCD, squeezing multiple time zones on there at once is a breeze. The watch is also free of garish buttons thanks to a touch-friendly case that lets users swipe across the screen to switch between its admittedly limited world time display modes.
The curved case has been squeezed down to a svelte thickness of just 9.3mm, and the lack of buttons means it’s sealed, allowing the watch to be worn underwater to depths of almost 100 feet. But the best new feature, in my opinion, is the price. The original Phosphor e-ink watch still starts at $US175, while the new World Time Sport is available for pre-order for just $US79. Me? I’m waiting for Phosphor to take a page from Kindle’s playbook. Is an even cheaper World Time Sport with Special Offers too much to ask? [Phosphor via SlashGear]