Casio Computer is looking to enter the smartwatch market next year, saying it will produce a watch that is smart, rather than a smart device that is also a watch, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company is aiming to achieve JPY 10 billion in smartwatch sales as soon as possible, and thne expand the business from there.
In the past, Casio developed watches with schedule managers, heart rate monitors and communication functions. “At times we just showed off with quirky features and then pulled those products when they didn’t sell well,” new CEO Kazuhiro Kashio said earlier.
The company will now develop a smartwatch to a level of watch perfection: a device that won’t break easily, is simple to put on and feels good to wear, the new CEO said. He added that the device will have an affordable price tag similar to the lower end of Apple Watch’s price range from around JPY 50,000, though no final decision has been taken yet.
The smartwatch, planned for release in Japan and the US by the end of March 2016, will be targeted at men for outdoor sports and leisure use both in terms of functions and appearance, Kashio said, suggesting the product will be rugged and break-hardy.
Casio reported watch sales at a record JPY 153 billion in the year to end March 2015. Watch operations make up nearly half of Casio’s total sales, which include keyboards, calculators and cameras, and the company is profitable.
The younger Kashio, son of the company’s former chief, has already spent four years heading a team developing the smartwatch. He said he rejected various prototypes that didn’t meet his requirements, including an overly bulky phone watch. “I don’t think the smartwatch will be an instant success but we want it to grow in the long term,” he added.
