Sony SmartWatch 3 : Review
Let’s start by saying that Sony SmartWatch 3 is certainly not for everyone. Compared to its more round rivals it is definitely more sexy but less classic; Its strap is made of rubber rather than leather; And the display is not as brilliant or lively as the others.
But if you are more interested in sports features rather than the look of this wareable, then it continues to read our review because, the Sony Smartwatch 3 suddenly looks much more interesting. For runners, in particular, integrated GPS is a great feature that allows you to leave the home phone without too much trouble.
It also has Wi-Fi and NFC, making it a wearable projected towards the future with its rivals without these features. It also does not need external charging dock thanks to a built-in micro-USB port and has a battery life that makes it one of the most durable smartwatches on the market like the Moto 360.
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Design and Display
Sony Smartwatch 3 is definitely not a leap forward in terms of aesthetics, clean design and no frills remain as a major component. The all-in the model remains stylish, even with the GPS watch strap on display.
The standard waistband, black or yellow, but with additional straps and accessories available, has a nice adjustable buckle – allowing you to get a perfect shape – you can simply remove and reset the smartwatch dial in and out to mix and match belts.
It’s a light and comfortable design though a bit bland. This is a smartwatch that fits more with a pair of sports pants than with a pair of moccasins.
While some Android Wear Watches such as the Moto 360, and the ASUS ZenWatch have been trying to be smart, the Sony SmartWatch 3 seems to have declined this elegance option. The watch dial has a square shape, combined with a rubber strap, surely giving more than a sporty and utilitarian look to a fashion look. Worse still, the band that encapsulates the clock makes the 1.6 inch display larger than it is. While the bezel surrounding the screen is relatively small, it looks so much more often when it is inserted into the strap, giving it a look unfortunately too often, but no less comfortable.
The flexible strap is lined with what is perceived as a soft velvety material and the weight of the center unit of the watch is only 39 grams (with the strap, about 66 grams). It’s relatively easy to close and open the smartwatch thanks to a simple metal buckle that can be adjusted to fit the wrist size. The clock is very pleasing and comfortable to use every day.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 wrist strap is available in a variety of colors: white, black, pink and green. To swap it simply push the center unit of the watch out of its rubber case; It should jump out without much effort. All that easy enough not? The only flaw is that Sony SmartWatch 3 is not compatible with standard 22mm straps.
https://youtu.be/Drwn4rXm-sA
Unlike the most other Sony SmartWatches, the Sony Smartwatch 3 does not need a charging case because it actually has a micro-USB port right in the clock itself, on the back, covered by a removable rubber plug. Great comfort so do not have to go anywhere near the clock. We recommend that you turn off your watch from the rubber strap before connecting the charging cable, so as not to affect the ease of charging.
We can safely dive into the pool with this Sony home smartwatch even if we first make sure we’ve hermetically closed the USB port. The Sony SmartWatch 3 has IP68 technology that makes it resistant to dust and water, and can support a dive up to 4.9 feet under water for 30 minutes. IP68 technology is better than IP67 sister installed on models such as the Moto 360 and the LG G Watch R, which can allegedly be submerged up to 3.28 feet underwater for half an hour.
In addition to the Touch screen, the Sony SmartWatch 3 has a physical button on the side for when you need to turn it on and off quickly, just like in a smartphone. The button is slightly above the belt surface and cannot be noticed.
Internally, the Sony Smartwatch 3 uses a rather robust processor of 1.2GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 along with 512 MB of RAM, plus 4GB of built-in memory that can be loaded with applications and music from Google Play. Other sensors include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a compass. Of course, it also has Bluetooth, which you can use to connect to the phone, or connect to a headset set.
As noted above, Sony SmartWatch 3 is also the first Android Wear device with GPS. Wi-Fi and NFC onboard features are included.
Perhaps some colors may appear off, though, an LCD screen with reflective technology makes the SmartWatch 3 easy to display on full daylight. I left the auto brightness most of the time and thanks to the ambient light sensor. I was able to read my display in any condition regardless of how it was out of time.
Like the most other SmartWatches, the Sony SmartWatch 3 has an internal accelerometer that illuminates the screen every time it rises to suit your eyes. This takes a second or two in time than I would have liked. Normally, this is not a big deal, but when I was around, making commissions, it became a bit annoying.
Usability, Features and OS
Sony is finally making progress in the right way. The Sony SmartWatch 3 is integrated with the Android Wear operating system and not with any Sony proprietary operating system like in its previous SmartWatch models.
A brief review could be convenient: You will need an Android phone to start (of course), then you will need to download the Android Wear application. From there, it’s just a matter of pairing the clock with the phone following the on-screen instructions. Interestingly, it is not required for anyone to install any additional software like some of the other Android Wear watches (Moto 360, for example, requires Motorola Connect, while ZenWatch wants to have the ZenWatch handler installed).
Performance and battery life
With a 1.2GHZ quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor with 512 MB of RAM, SmartWatch 3 performs beautifully each application.
Battery life is where the Sony SmartWatch 3 really shines. With its 420mAh battery, which is the largest battery we’ve ever seen in an Android Wear watch, there’s no day this smartwatch does not resist. The nominal longevity is given around two days.
I left notifications on Twitter, Facebook and my calendar appointments; Used the GPS to trace the walking path; Listened to a couple of repetition songs (which I loaded on the watch through Play Music); And I used voice commands throughout the day. The clock kept its autonomy for about a day, and a half before the ” reserve ” began. When I went to the airport mode, my device lasted almost 48 hours.
Conclusion
PROS :
- Battery
- Monitoring
- Functionality
- Completeness
CONS :
- Design
- Price
- Compatibility: Android 4.3 (JellyBean) and later
- Capacity: Quad ARM A7 - 1,2 Ghz, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB eMMC
- Sensors: Ambient light sensors, Accelerometer, compass and gyro, GPS, BLE
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.
