Android Wear is really sparking life into the smartwatch market with almost every manufacturer seemingly now set on delivering their own wearable. Sony has actually been making wearables for a lot longer than most but with the SmartWatch 3 it too has got on board with Android Wear.
So can Sony do anything different to help its SmartWatch 3 stand out from the hordes of other Android Wear devices? Well the short answer is yes. First off the SmartWatch 3 should be more powerful than most of the competition as it has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor along with the 512MB of RAM that’s become standard on smartwatches.
Most other wearables have single or dual-core processors, so this should offer slicker performance. It also has a 420 mAh battery which promises up to two days of life with normal use. Often these battery claims are optimistic but if it really does then it should outlive many other smart devices.
It also has GPS built in, making it a runners dream and it includes Sony’s Walkman app, Life-logging features and an IR blaster so you can control other media devices with it. Another highlight is a microUSB port, so you can keep it juiced with a standard charger, plus its 1.6 inch 320 x 320 display is transflective so it should be readable even in direct sunlight.
Other than that it’s fairly standard in most ways, with 4GB of built in storage, IP68 certification to withstand dust and water and both a touchscreen and voice controls, like any other Android Wear device.
The design is a little different though. Sadly this isn’t circular but it still looks good and has a range of straps available. It doesn’t support standard watch straps though, instead it just slots into a strap like a smartphone would into a case. Apparently this is so that it could be used with other devices in future, though Sony hasn’t announced what.
The SmartWatch 3 is likely to cost around £185 when it launches this autumn.
Alongside the SmartWatch 3 Sony also announced the SmartBand Talk, which sits somewhere between a smartwatch and a smartband. It looks like an oversized fitness band but that extra space is used to house a long, narrow display.
Surprisingly it’s not a touchscreen and is instead button controlled, so it’s fairly limited, but the device is adept at tracking steps and other activities and can then display them on the screen, while you can also use it to control music and even take calls (hence the ‘Talk’ part of the name).
It’s a bit of an oddity and with an expected price of around £130 it’s not cheap, but it could end up filling a niche.
Read : Best Compact Smartphones: Which mini smartphone should you buy?
