Sharp enters wearables with health watch and smart ring debut
The Japanese electronics maker is targeting a new revenue stream as it prepares to release Karada Mate Watch and Karada Mate Ring on 9 July.
- Sharp is entering the wearable device market on July 9 with the launch of its first smartwatch and smart ring.
- The new products, the Karada Mate Watch and Karada Mate Ring, are designed to help users monitor health metrics like calorie intake, heart rate, and sleep patterns.
- The watch features automatic calorie intake estimation, while the ring uses four sensors to track heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep.
- This move is part of Sharp's strategy to find a new source of revenue and growth beyond the saturated smartphone market.
Sharp Corp. will launch its first smartwatch and smart ring on 9 July, giving the Japanese electronics maker a fuller foothold in the wearable devices market.
The company said on Tuesday (June 16) that it was looking beyond the saturated smartphone business and sees wearables as a market with stronger room for growth. It aims to build the new line into another source of revenue.
“Sharp's entry will lead to the creation of new needs,” Masaaki Nakae, head of Sharp’s mobile communications business division, said at a product launch event.
The products are the Karada Mate Watch and the Karada Mate Ring, both designed to help users keep track of their health simply by wearing them. Together, they monitor metrics including calorie intake and heart rate.
The watch-style device estimates calorie intake automatically by using changes in body fluid movement and sugar levels, while also checking hydration levels.
The ring carries four high-precision sensors, including those for heart rate and blood oxygen level. It records sleep patterns and gathers other vital data.
Both devices will be offered in gold and silver. The watch is priced at 59,400 yen and the ring at 41,800 yen.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
