Sony’s Smartwatch, take three
This is Sony’s third smartwatch entry in the Android market, but it’s nothing really worth fawning over. ke the G tch Samsung Gear ve, it’s fueled by a 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of on-board storage. Its performance should be along the same lines as those competing Android ar watches. The Smarttch 3 seems to only exist so that Sony can claim that it’s also in the Android ar alliance—y’know, after snubbing it earlier this year. The Smarttch 3 is a bl, uninspired product the clasp on the back of the strap that comes stard with it is hard to adjust fit to a wrist. At least the watch itself doesn’t weigh much. I do appreciate Sony’s idea of the “technological core,” however, which is the promise that all the technology of its wearables are contained within one physical module that you can easily pop into different bs or clips. That might also explain why this particular product is so bl—Sony wants you to make it your own—but it comes off as a product that was rushed to market. The Smarttch 3 will arrive with the latest Android ar software, as well as additional software features that work with Sony’s varying entertainment apps, like lkman for Android. Unfortunately, the watches were in Android ar demo mode, so I was unable to test any of those features.
Fitness through e-ink
The SmartB Talk is a fresh take on the fitness tracker. It’s always on, its e-ink screen ensures you can see it out in the sunlight. It features compact sensors for activity tracking auto-sleep detection, so you won’t have to remember to double-tap it before you fall asleep. There’s also an altimeter, which can tell if you’re climbing stairs, a built-in microphone speaker for voice comms quick phone calls (when paired with a phone—it doesn’t make calls on its own). Sony says a fully charged SmartB Talk will last up to three days. It’s also I8 certified for swimmers hikers. Most fitness trackers offer minimal to no information until you actually sync up the wearable with a mobile device, but Sony made it so that all of your essential information is actually displayed on the device itself. You can glance at it to see how many steps you’ve taken, or press a button on the right side to cycle through other functions. th the companion app you can pin up to nine different functions, like the ability to snap your fingers to start blaring a playlist from your smartphone. The SmartB Talk reminds me a lot of my FitBit, which the Sony representatives didn’t seem to appreciate. I don’t see its as an issue, however; it’s a functional, recognizable design that works. The b is a bit textured feels rubbery, but it’s removable so that you can swap it out for something else if you’re one of those people who changes the style of their clothes every week. Both the Smarttch 3 SmartB Talk should be out later this fall. ‘ll have more for you, including a thorough review, when they become available.
