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Citizen Japan today announced a face-lifted version of their i:VIRT Bluetooth handsfree watch. The difference between the i:VIRT and the SonyEricsson watch (MBW-100) accessible to most of us outside Japan would be that the i:VIRT supports call ID display (the name of the person not just the number), it will also flash and vibrate when there’s a new call coming in. What’s more is that it can actually warn you when the phone is being placed too far away (stolen?) or when the Bluetooth signal gets weak. As you can see, it probably doesn’t look as good as SonyEricsson’s offering, but the features are a lot more advanced. The i:VIRT watch measures 40.0×42.4×14.6mm (50g) and the recharagable battery is good for 5 days when connected to your phone, or a month with the Bluetooth off. As opposed to the first version of the i:VIRT watch, this second version will not be limited to the exclusive 5000 geeks who lined up on the first day of release. The projected price is still around 200USD, and it only works with domestic Japanese phones, even those from Nokia Japan would not work. If you happen to own an unlocked Sharp/Toshiba 902 or 903, you can pick up an i:VIRT by mid March. –Sam Chan
Press Release [Citizen Japan]