Have you ever wanted to watch TV while taking a bath? It’s a reality in Japan thanks to the Sony Bravia XDV-W600. The XDV-W600 is a miniature television that is only 145×42×98mm and 302g. The main selling point of this mini-TV is the fact it is waterproof.

The XDV-W600 specifications include a 4-inch LCD screen with the ability to output a maximum of 16.7 million colors at 272×480 resolution. The device has an IPX7 and IPX6 waterproof rating, meaning that you can theoretically watch TV under water (at a depth of up to 1m) for around 30 minutes. After a full charge (internal battery and two AA batteries), the XDV-W600 can be used for 23 hours.

The mini Bravia also features an AM/FM tuner and 2GB of internal memory, enough to record about 10 hours digital TV broadcasts. The device supports the mobile digital TV service 1Seg commonly available on certain Japanese cell phones. The XDV-W600 goes on sale on October 30 for roughly 40,000 yen ($370 USD) and comes in three colors: white, blue, and pink.

The Japanese-only XDV-W600 is definitely an example of Sony producing a product tailored to appeal to a specific target market. Bathing plays a larger role in Japanese culture than in the west where quick showers are king. This type of focused product design is a positive thing in my opinion; hopefully they apply it to all their products going forward.