How smart is Sony?

To take on competition from Motorola, Samsung and Apple, Sony recently launched two wearable devices: Smartwatch 3 and Smartband Talk. Shruti Puri finds out their worth

Wearable smart gadgets are fast making inroads in the consumer market. Smartwatches like Moto 360 and Samsung Galaxy Gear series are flying off the shelves. Sony is not far behind either with its Smartwatch 2 released in 2013, which is when the concept of smart wearable devices was in its early phase. Therefore it would be interesting to see what Sony Smartwatch 3 and Smartband brings to the table.

Sony Smartwatch 3

Appearance

Sony Smartwatch 3 is not much of a change in design of the watch when compared to its predecessor, which is a drawback since Samsung and Apple have upped the ante in the same domain. Although Sony Smartwatch 3 looks quite decent, we would have liked a lot more premium feel to it that is missing to a certain extent.

However, at 45 grams, Sony Smartwatch 3 is pretty light. The Sony Smartwatch 3 is available in two colour options: black and yellow.

Display

Sony Smartwatch 3 features a 1.6-inch Transflective display that has a resolution of 320 by 320 pixels. Users can read notifications, send messages and much more via the touchscreen interface of the watch. The display is quick as far as responsiveness is concerned backed by sensors such as Ambient Light, Accelerometer, Compass, Gyro and GPS.

Operating system

Sony Smartwatch 3 uses Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system which is customised as an Android wear software platform that allows users to make use of various applications including weather, travel, voice search, etc. Users can also avail the facility of other features like getting notifications, finding distance and time for the specified destination or set reminders.

Battery

Sony Smartwatch 3 runs on a 420mAh battery that delivers a usage time of up to 2 days where the activities could include multimedia, or other daily use apps.

Hardware

Sony Smartwatch 3 runs on a quad ARM processor that clocks in at 1.2GHz of speed, whereas the RAM equipped for the gadget is 512MB. There will be an internal memory of 4GB as well that should be enough to store data regarding contacts and daily activities.

Connectivity

The wearable has the basic connectivity elements like microUSB port and Bluetooth for the to-and-fro transfer of data. The availability of NFC adds more zing to the gadget, allowing super fast transaction of data by simply touching the watch against other compatible devices.

Water resistant

The smartwatch from Sony is IP68 certified and is therefore resistant against water allowing a more rugged use.

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Sony SmartBand Talk SWR30

Appearance

Smartband is another wearable smart gadget from Sony that is a lot more sleek compared to its Smartwatch 3. The device is designed like a wrist band that is changeable as per the whims and fancies of the user. Some of the colour options for the wrist band include blue, pink, orange, lime green, etc.

The smartband is extremely light at 24 grams and has a thickness of 9.5mm along with a width of 23.5mm. It is available in two sizes of large and small where users can choose the one that is most suitable to their wrists.

Display

Smartband has a curved 1.4-inch display that is powered by the black and white E-ink technology and runs on a resolution of 296 by 128 pixels along with a pixel density of 192dpi.

The gadget uses the same e-paper technology as the Yotaphone that makes it easier to read text with bright display and consume less amount of power. Users can read the notifications on the gadget by single taps, voice commands or gesture inputs.

Battery

Smartband runs on a 70mAh battery that delivers a usage time of up to 3 days which is quite substantial and should please most users. Talk time for the device is up to 1 hour. Since the device uses e-paper technology, loads of activities can be run on the device without burning away the fuel.

Waterproof

SWR30 is IP68 certified which means that the gadget is resistant to water for a depth of up to 1.5 metres.

Track your movements

Smartband allows users to keep track of their daily activities including how much you walk, run and even details about your sleep that gives you a better idea of your routine and how healthy it is.

Connectivity

Smartband provides integration of the gadget with your Android Phone, thus allowing you to pick up calls without touching your smartphones delivering true hands free experience.

The innovation in the smart wearable industry is touching new heights and this year we can expect more such gadgets that will make our life easy and hassle free.

Photograph: Courtesy, Sony