What Is an E-Paper Smartwatch?
The Upsides to an E-Paper Smartwatch
The most obvious advantage of a smartwatch with an e-paper display is longer battery life. This technology requires less power than other display types, so you don’t need to charge your watch as frequently. Looking at the top smartwatches from a battery life perspective, you see that e-paper options such as those from Pebble rank high. Depending on your lifestyle and whether you tend to forget to plug in your tech every night before bed, the ability to go several days on a charge could mean you ultimately get more use out of your device. Beyond long battery life, e-paper smartwatches offer great viewing angles, so you won’t have trouble making out the notifications on your screen even if you’re under direct sunlight. If you’re a frequent outdoor runner or spend a lot of time outside, this feature could make a difference. It’s unlikely you’re reading e-books from your wrist on a smartwatch, so an e-paper display isn’t as essential on this sort of wearable as it is on an e-reader, but it can still come in handy.
The Downsides to an E-Paper Smartwatch
If you want a stunning visual experience on your smartwatch, chances are you’ll find an e-paper display underwhelming. Even if you pick a model with a color e-paper screen, it won’t be the brightest on the market, and hues won’t be the richest. Overall, e-paper displays are decidedly dimmer than their LCD and OLED counterparts, so keep that in mind when you’re comparison shopping across different types of smartwatches. It’s also worth checking out all the models that interest you in person so you can test-drive their displays and other features.
The Best E-Paper Smartwatches
Now that you have an idea of what sets this type of smartwatch apart from others, you can begin to evaluate whether it’s the right pick for you. If you’re not deterred by the disadvantages mentioned above—and if the longer-than-average battery life and improved viewing angles and sunlight visibility make a difference for you—look at some of the top picks.
Sony FES Watch
The fact this wearable was once on sale at the MoMA Store tells you a lot. It’s all about form, and function is more of an afterthought. However, the FES Watch is striking. It’s made from one strip of e-paper, and you can switch at the push of a button among 24 designs for the watch face and strap. Calling it a smartwatch might be something of a stretch since you can’t use it with popular apps like Instagram and Twitter, but it’s quite a conversation starter, and it lasts a whopping two years on a charge.
Pebble Time
The Pebble Time smartwatch offers great functionality in a simple package. The e-paper display with LED backlight featured on this smartwatch provides 64 colors, and you get up to seven days of battery life on one charge. Keep in mind you control the display with three physical buttons rather than by pressing and swiping directly on the screen, which could feel clunky to some users. The Pebble Time features the Timeline interface, which presents your relevant info in a chronological format. While the Pebble Time is no longer in production, you can still find them via third-party sellers.
Pebble Time Round
If the Pebble Time’s list of features appeals to you, but you want a more sophisticated package and a design that looks more like a standard wristwatch, the Pebble Time Round is worth a look. This wearable has a color e-paper display and three physical buttons. Unlike the Pebble Time, the Pebble Time Round features a round display (hence the name) and is rated for up to two days of battery life. This is because it comes in a much slimmer package, so you’re sacrificing longevity for looks. But, it could be worth the trade-off if you’re diligent about keeping the wearable juiced up and if you want a smartwatch that’s more office-appropriate. Pebble watches feature enhanced activity-tracking and a smart alarm for waking you up when you’re in your lightest stage of sleep. If you want to use a smartwatch to kick-start your fitness efforts, this could come in handy.
Pebble 2 + Heart Rate
Despite its demise in late 2016, Pebble smartwatches still dominate the e-paper smartwatch category, as a whole. The final Pebble pick here is worth including due to its fitness-focused features. This gadget is clunkier than some other options, but its black-and-white e-paper display is rated for up to seven days of use on a charge, and you get a 24/7 heart-rate monitor that measures your pulse automatically. If fitness tracking is a priority for you, this model could be a solid choice, though it looks like a much older and less refined cousin of the Pebble Time.
Clearink Smartwatch
Clearink specializes in e-paper displays for smartwatches and small tablets. The 2017 Clearink smartwatch has a 1.32-inch color e-paper display with a 202 DPI screen, which is a big improvement over its introductory model. It also boasts a 30% better color gamut and only half the power of its first generations, thanks to a 5V battery.
Bottom Line
Compared to wearables like the Apple Watch, e-paper smartwatches might seem basic and pared down. They’re usually lighter on features and much less expensive than their brethren with brighter displays. That said, if you don’t need all the bells and whistles and simply want to view notifications on your wrist, one of these gadgets could fit the bill. Just make sure you do your research and decide what features matter to you the most before committing to one of these or any other smartwatch.
