Sharp is looking to return to the PC market, Nikkei reports-- specifically through the purchase of the ailing Toshiba PC unit, as well as help from parent company Foxconn.
The Japanese newspaper says talks have already begun "at the working level," while analysts suggest the price for the unit totals around ¥10 billion (or $91.9 million). Previously Toshiba considered selling the PC unit to Taiwan's Asus, but the deal failed to materialise.
As mentioned earlier, the Toshiba PC unit is a loss maker. In fiscal 2016 it saw operating losses reaching ¥500m on sales of ¥191.8bn, the result of competition from the Asian mainland, not to mention the generally shrinking PC market. As a result it has already scaled back operations by pulling out of consumer PCs in emerging markets.
The closure means many Pebble features will stop working, including the App Store, voice recognition features, SMS and email replies, forum and cloud development tool. For the time being the iOS and Android companion apps should continue working, unless an OS update breaks compatibility.
The company says the "sophisticated" blue is inspired by the buildings of Chefchaouen, Morocco, while the violet appeals to customers who "appreciate the finer things in life." As for the rose, the "unique" colour has been designed with anniversaries, graduation ceremonies and Valentine's Day in mind.
Like the previous model, each keycap on the K68 RGB has an individual silicone rubber shield to protect the internal hardware from any accident involving spilled drinks or snacks. Inside the keys is a choice of either Cherry MX Red or Blue switches and, new to this model, coloured LEDs for rainbow lighting effects.
