Things That The Sony SmartWatch 3 Can’t Do (And Things That It Can)
I have been enjoying my experience using my Sony Xperia Z3 tremendously. It is a great smartphone and I have integrated the Z3 into all aspects of my life (as my business and personal phone). You can read my previous tips on using it here. I was thrilled to also be able to test out Sony’s SmartWatch 3. Wearable technology is becoming increasingly more popular and important as we look to facilitate our lives.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 was easy to integrate into my mobile lifestyle.
Pros: It has a handy built in GPS tracker, an accelerometer, compass and gyroscope, Wi-Fi, and it is completely waterproof. It also runs Android Wear seamlessly and will stay connected to my Z3 even if I am 10 meters away. I had a lot of fun trying out different watch faces and changing the look and feel of it every day.
Cons: I only have one con. I would like to see the battery life last longer. I did use the watch heavily every day so perhaps with an adjustment in my usage I would be able to get a longer battery life out of it. I used it at night for monitoring my sleep so I found that I had to charge it in the morning while getting ready to start my day and in the evening just before going to bed. That is not a deal breaker for me.
1) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Drive Your Smart Car (Or Any Other Car)
Sadly I still need to drive my car myself. But you can speak to your SmartWatch 3 to get turn-by-turn directions to a given destination. You can also find nearby places or businesses and get relevant information about them. I also like the traffic updates that it provides in the morning before work and later on in the day for my drive home. Here are the instructions for using Navigation on the Sony SmartWatch 3:
To navigate using your SmartWatch 3
How to setup and connect Sony Smartwatch, Pros & Cons
- Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3.
- Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens.
- Say “Navigate” and then say your destination. Alternatively, say something like “Navigate to the nearest hotel”. If your command is registered properly, the route appears on your SmartWatch 3.
- On the navigation screen, swipe from right to left to view route information such as time and distance to the location.
To find a place or business
- Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3.
- Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens
- Say something like “Find the Eiffel Tower”, “Where is the closest supermarket?” or “How far is Starbucks from my home?”. If your request is recognized, the relevant information appears on the SmartWatch 3.
2) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Do Dirty Dishes
I have this problem with my husband and daughter too. Hmmmm. While I hope to still be able to influence my family and change their behavior, I can use the SmartWatch 3 to order take out and use the voice commands to call the restaurant with my Xperia Z3. The SmartWatch 3 acts as a remote control with the Z3, which can be used when receiving or making phone calls. It can also be used to control the camera to snap pictures.
Here is how you can use the SmartWatch 3 to Handle Incoming Calls:
To answer an incoming call 1. To accept the incoming call, swipe from right to left on the screen of your SmartWatch 3. 2. Use a phone, tablet or Bluetooth headset to speak with the caller.
To decline an incoming call Swipe from left to right on the screen of your SmartWatch 3.
To reject an incoming call with a predefined message Swipe upwards from the bottom of the screen of your SmartWatch 3, then select a message.
3) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Take My Dog Out For Walks
Nor does it scoop up after him. I can use the built in GPS without lugging around a phone to track distance. This is a great feature for runners and cyclists too. With the offline GPS capability all you need is good app. Here are two apps that you may want to try and that have good ratings:
Features: Offline GPS support that defaults to your watch’s GPS signal. Shows you your GPS strength prior to the start of your run or ride. Easy to read and customizable screen data (see the data that is most important to you, including average pace, current pace, time, distance, etc). Ghostracer Google Plus Community
Runkeeper works better online than offline and features: Find and follow pre-planned routes and map your run or walk on the go. Follow training plan workouts or create your own with audio coaching. Get audio updates while you work out about your total mileage, calorie count, pace, speed, mileage. Run while listening to music – RunKeeper automatically integrates with your phone’s music app. Get coached with 10k, Half Marathon and Full Marathon training plans for more advanced runners
4) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Keep You Dry In The Rain
It does not function well as an umbrella. The good news is that the SmartWatch 3 is not only water resistant but it is completely waterproof. The SW3 has an IP68 rating which means you can go swimming with it on for up to 1/2 hour to a depth of 1.5 meters in fresh water. If you use it in a chlorinated pool it is recommended that you rinse it off with fresh water afterwards.
You can also check up to date weather forecasts right on your watch so if it is going to rain you can grab your umbrella before you head out.
5) The SmartWatch 3 Won’t Help Your Boss With His Boring Presentations or Meetings
I loved using the SmartWatch 3 at work. It is much more discrete to use in meetings to check for notifications and emails, than to be constantly on your smartphone. You can read and reply to emails directly on your SmartWatch 3. Each email is represented by a corresponding card on the screen of the watch. You can also speak into your SmartWatch 3 to send email messages to saved contacts. That is a great feature as well. I do find that you do need to speak clearly and enunciate your words properly or you may send some pretty interesting emails.
To send an email message using voice commands: 1. Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3. 2. Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens. 3. Say “Email” and the name of a contact that is saved to your phone or tablet, then say the text that you want to send. 4. Alternatively, you can say something like “Email Jack that I will be there tomorrow”. In both cases, the message gets sent automatically.
To reply to an email message: 1. Select the card that represents the email message that you want to reply to. 2. Swipe from right to left until you see Reply, then tap Reply. 3. Swipe upwards and select a predefined message, or enter a spoken reply by saying your message aloud. Once you’re finished, the message gets sent automatically.
While the Sony SmartWatch 3 won’t make you a super Hero, it does help make your life easier and more versatile. It is a great Smart watch for people with an active lifestyle and for work as well. It is comfortable to wear and seems like it was built to last. It is fun to use and I received many positive Комментарии и мнения владельцев and inquiries when people say me using it.
Learn more about the Sony SmartWatch 3 on their site.
I received a SmartWatch 3 from Sony for review purposes. Good or bad, my reviews and opinions are honest with my readers best interest in mind.
Sony Smartwatch 2 review: a second screen for your Android phone
The Sony Smartwatch 2 is the third iteration of Sony’s smartwatch platform that acts as a second screen for almost any Android 4.0 smartphone.
With its upgraded interface, slim hardware and waterproof body, Sony has improved its smartwatch in almost all areas, while maintaining its functionality as a solid timepiece.
Designed to look like a watch
The Sony Smartwatch 2 strikes a fine line between looking like a nerdy gadget on your wrist and resembling a regular watch.
It is square, but as its aluminium body is only 9mm thick it is not that much chunkier than an oversized watch and will fit comfortably under a shirt cuff.
Following the lead of recent Sony smartphones such as the Xperia Z and Z Ultra, the Smartwatch 2 is waterproof with an IP 57 rating, which means it is watertight at up to 1m deep for 30 minutes.
In reality that means you can wear it day to day without having to worry about getting it wet while washing your hands or running through the British downpours, as long as you’ve ensured the micro USB protective cover is properly closed.
Sony sells the Smartwatch 2 with black rubber strap; however, it also offers a range of coloured rubber and leather straps. The Smartwatch 2 also uses a standard 24mm watchstrap fitting, meaning you can customise the strap with one of your own and aren’t tied to Sony’s options.
The top of the device is dominated by a 1.6in transflective touchscreen LCD which – unlike most LCD displays currently in use – allows you to see the display without a backlight by reflecting ambient light.
That means the Smartwatch 2 has a persistent, readable display that shows a watch face by default and makes it very easy to use the smartwatch to actually tell the time, something that’s important if you’re replacing a regular watch with it.
Unfortunately the display is decidedly low resolution, which means text from notifications, as well as pictures and even the watch faces, look pixelated at times.
The screen is something you can and do get used to, but compared to the high-resolution, pixel perfect screens of most smartphones today, it has noticeably lower fidelity.
Intuitive to use, just like Android
Pairing and setup of the Smartwatch 2 is pretty straightforward using NFC and Bluetooth – one tap of an NFC-equipped phone and the software takes care of the rest, prompting you to download any software you need from the Google Play store.
For those using an Android phone without NFC – any phone with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and up with Bluetooth will work with the Smartwatch 2 – you simply have to pair the phone and watch via Bluetooth.
Sony has given the Smartwatch 2 a low power, single-core processor in an effort to balance battery life with the physical size of the device. Processor power is always a trade-off, and for the most part Sony’s Smartwatch 2 performs well enough.
Unfortunately that doesn’t mean the experience completely lag free.
Battery life is relatively good, and I got a good four days of usage out of the Smartwatch 2 with quite a few alerts and apps running. You would probably need to charge it once every three days to be on the safe side, but a full charge takes about an hour.
The Smartwatch 2 runs a bespoke variant of Android, which resembles the regular platform with a homescreen full of app icons and the usual Home, Back and Options buttons below the screen. There’s even a slide-down notifications tray, just like Android on a smartphone or tablet, which is where the lag creeps in.
The Smartwatch 2 can hang when a notification is being accessed, failing to respond to taps and swipes for a second or so. It’s not every time, and seems to be linked to the watch’s Bluetooth connection to your smartphone, but it can be annoying.
The watch vibrates to notify you of incoming actions, including phone calls which pop up and allow you to dismiss or answer them, if you have a Bluetooth headset connected – there are no speakers or microphone hidden within the Smartwatch 2.
Navigating the interface is relatively intuitive using swipes and taps, which again resembles the way an Android phone or tablet is operated. A long tap brings up an options menu, which is unique to the particular app that’s currently in use. Often that can be a bit confusing, as some apps allow you to clear notifications, and others, such as the app, allow you to, for example, retweet.
Apps galore
Speaking of the app, out of the box the SmartWatch 2 comes with limited functionality, offering built-in apps that allow you to set timers or alarms. Everything else needs to be installed from the Sony SmartConnect app, which handles the management of the smartwatch and is available for free in the Google Play store.
Sony has produced apps for handling calls, reading text messages, email, and updates, as well as calendar alerts, photos and music control.
Beyond that, users are reliant on existing Smartwatch apps, available from previous iterations of the Sony platform, which kicked off with the LiveView in 2010. Three years later there are about 300 apps available for the Smartwatch 2.
Unfortunately, it would be unfair to say there’s an app for everything – there is no app for handling Google Hangouts for instance – but developers are actively producing apps for services such as WhatsApp.
Price
The Smartwatch 2 starts at £149, which comes with the standard black silicon rubber strap and a Runtastic Pro application.
Verdict: A great second screen for your smartphone
The Sony Smartwatch 2 is more of a second screen for your Android smartphone than a true smartwatch. It has very limited functionality without being paired with a phone.
It does, however, function very well as a timepiece, which some other smartwatches certainly don’t, and it is readable in any lighting conditions thanks to its transflective display.
Sony has managed to foster a relatively large third-party app collection for its Smartwatch range, which bolsters its functionality significantly. Sony says the Smartwatch 2 is a work in progress, and it is actively listening to customer feedback and updating the watch with new software and features.
notifications are handy, as well as having access to your text messages or email on your wrist, but the Smartwatch 2’s low-resolution screen, limited functionality beyond notifications and £150 price make it more of a novelty than a must-have item.
Having said that, if you’re after a smartwatch that works with any Android phone with version 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above, then the Smartwatch 2 is arguably your best option right now.
Star rating: 3/5
Sony SmartWatch 2 review
While it’s packed with plenty of apps to keep you busy, the Sony SmartWatch 2 is a pretty stripped-down take on the wearable. And less than a year after its release it already feels a tad out-dated. Still, if you can’t hold out until the SmartWatch 3 rolls around, the 2 is a lot cheaper than many of its rivals right now, and certainly not the worst option you could throw your money at.
- No extra charging cradle
- Works with all Android phones
- Interchangeable straps
Back in 2012 the smartwatch was quite a different beast. The iWatch rumours were yet to start bubbling, Google was showing no interest in the area and Samsung’s Gear was still a Galaxy away. But Sony saw a lucrative new category on the horizon and rolled out the SmartWatch.
Since then, wearables have boomed, and Sony returned last year with the SmartWatch 2 (£149), an full Android-running (not Android Wear) timepiece that focuses on the basics. It doesn’t pack a heart rate monitor, and you can’t have your phone conversations by speaking into your wrist, but Sony’s take on the smartwatch gets a lot of things right. Unfortunately, it also falls foul of few snags along the way.
Sony SmartWatch 2: Features and design
Before the term ‘Moto 360’ meant anything, square watch faces were all we knew. Sony’s SmartWatch 2 is as squared off as they come; shorter and wider than the Pebble Steel, it models itself on the Xperia family of smartphones and tablets. But at 122.5G it’s pretty light and it’s certainly not the worst. or most geeky. looking smartwatch that money can buy.
There’s only one physical button on the whole device. the power button sat on the right hand side. but you’ve also got three soft buttons along the bottom which ape Android’s home, back and menu functions.
The 1.6-inch LCD touchscreen. handy for doing that thing we like to call telling the time. is always on and pleasingly vibrant, however you’ll need to turn up the brightness a few notches when you’re in poor lighting. The UI’s icon grid is also designed to look like a smartphone, and that’s no bad thing. especially as this is a watch you’re probably going to stick a lot of apps onto.
When paired with a phone, and with the right apps installed, the SmartWatch 2 becomes a handy notification device, with the ability to deliver texts, emails, WhatsApp messages and more to your wrist. Take the phone away and you’re left with a very basic watch that will show you previously-synced notifications and. most importantly. tell you the time. Oh yeah, and there’s also a ‘torch’ (if you can call it that) which is essentially just a white screen.
Keeping the SmartWatch 2 on your arm is a rubber wristband that’s perfectly comfortable but perhaps a bit flimsy for some. Luckily, Sony’s also offering up a stainless steel strap in case you like your wearables a bit more premium.
Sony Smartwatch 3. 2 Years Later Review | Still No Android Wear 2.0 Upgrade !?
With an IP57 certificate, you’ll also be able to splash it with a bit of water, but don’t go submerging it. and whatever you do, make sure the Micro USB flap is covered before you chuck any liquids at it.
Sony SmartWatch 2: Activity tracking
To get you started, the SmartWatch 2 is compatible with the Runtastic app, which will give you at-a-glance metrics such as distance, calories, average speed when you’re out on a jog. All of that will then be synced to your phone after for you to do with as you wish (you also get complimentary Runtastic Pro account in the package).
Meanwhile, the watch’s water resistant design means it’s ready to face a downpour, should you be caught out mid-run.
Sony SmartWatch 2: App
Like most companion apps, the Sony SmartWatch 2 SW2 app is the real brains behind the Band, but unlike Samsung’s Gear watches, Sony’s offering will work with any phone running Android 4.0 or later, with the option to pair via NFC. The frustrating thing is that you’ll also need to download the Smart Connect app to get anything to work, which is a little more demanding than it should be.
But from here you can add or remove any of the (around) 400 dedicated SmartWatch 2 apps, and you’ll need to install a number of these if you actually want to get the notifications that Sony’s watch is made to deliver. very few come installed as standard.
A slight niggle we have is that all of the apps work as third party extensions, so each time you select an app you like the look of from the SW2 software, it’ll push you back to Google Play to download it. It’s not the end of the world, but it does make the experience feel a bit less seamless.
One of the best features of the app is the Watchface Editor, which (as you’ve probably guessed) lets you customise the design of the clock face and add any additional widgets you’d like. You’ll probably kill a big chunk of time playing with this one, and we don’t blame you one bit.
Sony Smartwatch 2: Battery life
Sony predicts three to four days of battery life from its Smartwatch 2, and that’s pretty much what we found that we’d get. In a few years time we’ll probably be laughing at that number, but considering that the display is never fully off, it’s not all that bad when compared against its rivals (especially the latest Android Wear devices).
But like any gadget, battery life will depend on how you’re using it: you’re always going to get more mileage with the backlight at its dimmest and notifications kept down to a minimum. One of our favourite features of the SmartWatch 2 is its use of simple Micro USB charging, so chances are you won’t be far from a power source when the battery indicator starts flashing low.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review
We were hoping for big things with Sony’s first Android Wear device, and in some respects it delivers. But in others it fails. read our Sony SmartWatch 3 review to find out whether you should buy one.
Our Verdict
The SmartWatch 3’s biggest strength is its built-in GPS, but you’ll still need a smartphone for driving directions. It’s also great to see a standard USB charging port. The transflective screen is a good idea, but in practice battery life is no better than other smartwatches with better-looking screens. Ultimately, unless you’re on a fixed budget, the G Watch R is the better choice. If you can’t afford that, wait a few months: the price is bound to drop.
Android Wear is Google’s operating system for wearables, and most new smartwatches including the SmartWatch 3 have adopted it rather than use their own system. In our Sony SmartWatch 3 review we’ll look at how this Android Wear device compares to its rivals, including the excellent – but expensive – LG G Watch R.
Update February 2017: Sony has confirmed that Android Wear 2.0 will not roll out to the Sony Smartwatch 3, given that it supports updates for 18 months after a product has launched. It says this is because it thinks the current operating system is better suited to the device, though we can’t help wondering whether this means a Smartwatch 4 is on the way.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: design and build
It may not be quite as stylish as some circular smartwatches, but the SmartWatch 3 has a certain charm about it. There’s no big Sony logo or anything to draw your eye away from the 1.6in square colour screen. The only button is to the right, but you’ll rarely need it as the display lights up when you raise your arm or tap on the screen.
There’s a choice of black or yellow straps (more will be available soon), and it’s simple to pop out the display unit and swap straps. It’s possible there will be third-party straps in future, but currently you’re limited to the official pair which cost £20 each. Obviously, you get one in the box.
They’re made from sturdy rubber and have an equally sturdy buckle mechanism like you’d find on a metal-strapped gents watch. It’s easy to adjust the strap for size without cutting.
We found the rubber uncomfortable to wear when hot – sweat is trapped under it, so it’s best to take it off regularly, and certainly at night.
Instead of wireless charging, Sony has opted for a standard microUSB port. That’s great news in some ways as you can charge it practically anywhere; there’s a good chance that any given office or home will have a microUSB cable and charger.
The USB port is covered by a captive rubber bung – the watch has an IP68 rating, so it’s dust and water resistant. We wouldn’t advise swimming with it, but you’ll be ok in the shower or going for a run in the rain.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Screen and battery life
We found the 420mAh battery lasted exactly two days, which is slightly disappointing given then unusual screen technology. Instead of AMOLED or IPS, Sony has gone for transflective which means the display is still readable – given sufficient ambient light – without the backlight. It’s the same technology used in many outdoor GPS devices.
You can choose whether or not to keep the screen on all the time. If you turn it off, you’ll have to wake it up just to check the time, but if you leave it on permanently, you can merely glance at your wrist without having to tap or lift your arm.
Sony has also included an ambient light sensor so brightness can be adjusted automatically, but it doesn’t appear to yield any extra battery life.
The 320×320 display has a few more pixels than the circular watches we’ve seen but there’s no real difference in the amount of information shown. The disadvantage of using a transflective display is that while colours look ok square-on, viewing angles are terrible by today’s standards.
If battery life were more like 4-5 days we’d forgive this, but LG’s G Watch R also lasts two days between charges. Recharge time is roughly an hour.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Features
Storage remains the same as the Sony SmartWatch 2 and rival Android Wear devices at 4GB eMMC flash memory. This can be used to store music which can be played without a companion smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.
The SmartWatch 3 does have one ace, though: built-in GPS. With an on-board receiver, there’s no need to take your smartphone with you on a run, hike or bike ride. The GPS can record your route and feed the data back to the Sony Lifelog app.
There’s also NFC, a gyro, compass, accelerometer and Bluetooth. The latter isn’t merely useful for connection to a smartphone for Android notifications: you can pair the SmartWatch 3 with some headphones and listen to music stored on the watch (there’s 2.6GB of usable storage) when you’re exercising.
What it doesn’t have is a heart-rate monitor, although that doesn’t mean the G Watch R is the best choice for fitness enthusiasts. The LG has a heart-rate sensor, which takes on-demand readings rather than monitoring heart rate over time. If you need that, consider one of the new Fitbit trackers: the Charge HR or Surge.
Also, unlike those activity trackers and Sony’s own SmartBand Talk, the SmartWatch 3 has no barometer to detect floors climbed and neither does it track your sleep.
You can install apps on Android Wear, though, which add functions and features which could be even more useful. Right now the selection is rather thin on the ground, but it’s sure to improve over time.
A recent update to Android Wear 5.0 has fixed some of the issues with this fledgling operating system, but it’s still a work in progress. First-time users are likely to be surprised and frustrated by how much still needs to be done on the paired smartphone: you can preview messages but not reply, and ask for directions but be forced to use the phone to see a map, for example.
You can use Ok Google for many things, such as web searches, sending texts and emails, setting timers and alarms and more. It’s all a bit fiddly to set up and learn the specific commands, but once done it does work quite well.
Specs
Sony SmartWatch 3: Specs
- Android Wear OS
- 1.6in Transflective LCD touchscreen display 320×320 pixels
- 4GB internal storage (approx 2.6GB available)
- 512 MB RAM
- Quad-core ARM V7 1.2GHz processor
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
- microphone
- gyro, accelerometer, compass, ambient light sensor
- GPS receiver
- NFC
- 420mAh battery
- microUSB charging
- IP68 dust and water resistant
- Core unit 45g
Sony SW2 SmartWatch 2 Black
Because this item is priced lower than the suggested manufacturer’s advertised price, pricing for this item can be shown by proceeding through the checkout process if the product is available.
warningChoking Hazard
Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
warningChoking Hazard
Toy contains a small ball. Not for children under 3 years.
warningChoking Hazard
Children under 8 years can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. Adult supervision required. Keep uninflated balloons from children. Discard broken balloon at once.
warningChoking Hazard
Toy contains a marble. Not for children under 3 years.
Reviews(37)
Pros: Smart watches are very unique compared to everything that has come before them. Just a few years ago, we were introduced to smartphones, and many people thought (and still think) that there is no reason for that much “connectedness.” I think many people will feel the same way about the Sony SW2 (and Smart watches in general). This device is already capable of helping you dial and answer/reject phone calls, read and reply to text messages (with minimal, canned responses), check. read emails, and more. Its a useful extension of your phone that just further connects us to everything we already spend too much time on.
The NFC pairing worked as advertised. Once I took the watch out of the package and unfastened the wrist Band, I was able to tap it on the back of my phone and it immediately connected and that was essentially the end of set up. I downloaded a few apps which took mere seconds to transfer to the device.
To my surprise, the app catalog is actually fairly decent for something as new as it is. Many apps that worked with the original Sony SmartWatch work with this one just the same; my personal favorite being the Spotify controller. The app isn’t stellar, but layout options are pretty limited on a screen this small. Reading text messages and emails is pretty straight forward and text comes through decently readable. Scrolling to read further down a message/email is smooth and works just as you’d expect it to.
One of my favorite features of this watch is the ferocity with which it vibrates. As someone who works in a loud manufacturing environment, I rarely if ever am able to hear or feel my phone ring in my Having the watch on my wrist eliminates the need to be able to hear the phone ring, and that alone almost makes it worth it for me.
The physical appearance of the watch is quite nice. Using the slightly older style TFT display means that even with the backlight off, you can still see the clock face pretty clearly, so long as you have some light around you. The watch is pretty thin, considering that it holds a battery and screen in such a tiny package. It is nowhere near as heavy as I expected it to be; I have regular watches that are both thicker and heavier than this. It draws a lot of attention when you have your sleeves rolled up and people can actually see it on your wrist.
Battery life is pretty good; I can usually get 2.5-3.5 days out of it, depending on how many notifications come to it. When you think about how small the battery inside of it must be, you realize that this is actually kind of incredible. Bluetooth range is pretty good, but once you get out of range and the watch is searching for your phone, it will chew through your battery in a matter of a few hours. So long as you’re within about 20 feet of your phone, its fine.
Many people have complained that the charging port cover is tough to get open. Personally, I think it’s just fine.
Cons: One thing I didn’t realize is that the watch doesn’t actually do or process anything; rather everything is managed by your phone through the SmartWatch 2 application. This means your phone is doing all the work and all the watch does is show some information every so often. Ultimately what this all means is that even further down the road, the device will be very limited in what it is actually capable of doing. Obviously, this wasn’t going to replace your phone, but knowing that many apps do and will have limited functionality may be a major turnoff for some.
The great, strong vibration of this watch does come at a price: the noise! If you’re in any sort of a quiet environment (meeting, a formal event, etc) you may want to shut the device off or leave it in your desk. Because of the nature of the device, it’s always out in the open where everyone can hear it so it’s pretty tough to hide the noise, especially if you’re receiving a call.
As many others have pointed out, the watch Band isn’t exactly made of the highest quality material. For the price, you’d think they would include a decent watch Band. Luckily, Sony claims it will fit any standard watch Band. I will eventually make it over to the mall to pick up a new non-rubbery Band.
I’ve experienced a few “total system meltdowns” on the device in the past 2 weeks. The first I think was at least partially due to the battery dying in the middle of it doing something. However, the second time, which was just 2 days ago, was a little different. The watch had vibrated and received an email through the Gmail app, then it completely locked up. It was still on, but the backlight was off. the clock wasn’t displaying, though. I kept trying to press and hold the power button to turn it on/off/make it do anything, but it wouldn’t. About 10 minutes later, it just woke up and resumed normal operation. I think this has something to do with the Gmail extension, as it keeps crashing (pops up with an error on my phone). I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app and it doesn’t seem to fix the issue. It always receives the emails still, so I’m not sure what is wrong with it, but being that Gmail is pretty widely adopted, I’d hope Sony would tix this (the Gmail integration is a Sony developed app).
Sometimes I find that notifications take a minute or two to actually pop up on the watch. I don’t know if this is related to the Gmail problem.
Overall Review: I really had no idea what to expect with this device, since it is such a new realm of technology. It doesn’t have a microphone or camera like the Galaxy watch does, but I can’t imagine taking pictures or talking to the watch anyway.
I always like being a first adopter for new things (cars and technology seem to be my vices). While this isn’t exactly the first smartwatch, it is still a very new and emerging market. If I were to be buying a Smart watch, I think I would have to pick this over the Samsung, even though I already have a GS4. This watch offers more compatibility in that it works with essentially all Android devices, whereas the Sammy only works with the newest Samsung phones. It has better battery life and though it doesn’t look quite as sleek, its smaller and lighter.
The bottom line: had Newegg not sent me this as an Eggxpert Review item, I would have considered purchasing one for myself. It perfectly fills a void that I didn’t realize I had.
