Sony SmartWatch 3- A product I love.

A fashionable watch has always been an important part of my accessories. Be it for formal wear or casual, I constantly look out for different technical advancements that are launched in market for this product. Recently, the Sony SmartWatch 3 has caught my attention the most.

It is the first SmartWatch of Sony that comes with an Android Wear. Though there are a range of similar products from Motorola, LG and Samsung available in market, yet Sony’s SmartWatch 3 is currently the only Android wear option with a built-in GPS radio, allowing for more precise workout tracking. This feature alone helps Sony stands out from the pack.

Being a fitness freak, the GPS radio feature of the device is the key reason for me to choose this smartwatch.  RunKeeper, a popular exercise tracking app for Android  Wear watches  can use the GPS in the Sony Smartwatch 3. I can run with or without my Android smartphone, the internal GPS will track my run on the watch and sync with RunKeeper on my phone when I return. The app is extended to the watch as a second sreen, showing pace, distance and other key metrics. I can shed my smartphone to pop off on a quick jaunt around a park and still get an accurate account of my exercise. Most watches that run on Google’s software has similar hardware but Sony stands out for including two radios that no other Android Wear watch has: GPS and Wi-Fi. The addition of GPS makes the watch a valuable sports accessory.

It is said to have Wifi and NFC capabilities on board, but not many Android Wear apps currently make use of this, so it is more of a future proof feature in this regard.

Also from hardware perspective, it seems that Sony has put a lot of effort into the hardware design and has come up with some innovative ideas. For example it is one of the only smartwatches to allow charging through a micro USB port. So, if I lose the charging case, I won’t need to worry about how long the battery would last. Also though portable charging docks contribute to slimmer designs however the built-in port is much appreciated. It means not having to carry another thing with me while travelling. However, its claim that the smartwatch 3 can last between 2-5 days on a single charge seems a bit doubtful to me, since most can’t go over a day without needing to be tethered to the wall. Still the 320*320 resolution 1.6 inch transflective display is expected to be kinder on the battery.

It has a quad-core CPU at the heart with 512MB of RAM, making it a powerful indeed. Sony has also included the Walkman app and the ability to control TV using an IR blaster within the watch, which are key additions. Also the 4GB of storage in there for music can be of help for joggers like me when out running.

Another feature that seems significant to me is the daylight display of the watch. The transflective LCD screen makes it easier to read in direct sunlight. The watch can be left at auto brightness for most of the time, the ambient light sensor helps me to read the screen and tell time or the name of the music track playing with a quick glance, regardless of how bright it is outside.

The SmartWatch 3 is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance whereas most other watches have IP67 rating.

Finally when it comes to style, the smatrwatch 3 definitely gives out a sporty look with its square face with the combination of rubber strap. Also the wrist straps comes  in a few different colors such as white, black, pink and green.

In a nutshell, SmartWatch 3 is an intuitive interactive device that feeds my personalized information on the move and interacts with my smartphone seamlessly via Bluetooth. The combined state-of-the-art  Smart Watch and life logging accessory powered by Android Wear simply takes my breath away every time I use it.

prAts!