When we posted a week or so ago about Expansys’ availability of the Sony SmartWatch 3, we began eagerly awaiting a review device which, we understand, is on its way to us. However, Ausdroid reader Marcus Kenny decided to buy one, and has received his already. He took a quick look through his new gadget, and gave us his thoughts:
I found out that Expansys had the watch I wanted available on Saturday, so I immediately ordered it, and it came today.
The SmartWatch 3 says it has NFC, but I have yet to be able to do anything with it. My phone beeps if I get it close to an NFCÂ device or card, but nothing happens with the watch. After some playing around, I discovered that Sony have made the NFC work through the screen itself. Now I just need to find a use other than opening the Android Wear app on my phone.
There is no heart rate sensor or other health monitor (unless you count the accelerometer) so that rumour is busted.
People don’t talk enough about the “transflective” display in reviews that I’ve read so far. This is one of the leading features of this watch over other smart watches because it is totally viewable in full sunlight, no squinting or shading required. In other lighting conditions it acts like any other LCD screen. This is a huge feature, and really puts some other watches to shame.
IP68 is another stand out feature, I have already been in the pool with the SmartWatch 3, and it didn’t leak.
A negative, though, is that if you’re interested in putting music on your phone, there is only about 2GB free space. Enough for some tunes, but not enough for lots and lots of them.
This is my first Android Wear device, so I have nothing to compare it to, but talking to it is like talking to my half-deaf mother. It either doesn’t hear me at all, or misunderstands me (Ed: Just like every other Android Wear device then). Google Now works pretty well on my phone, so the microphone on this watch must not be too good. The SmartWatch 3 supposedly has two microphones, but I can only see one.
Though I prefer metal bands, the supplied rubber band is pretty nice. I had planned to replace the band as soon as I could get a metal one, but now that I have worn it, maybe I won’t bother.
I’ve not tried the GPS, but playing music through Bluetooth works though I’ve not tested it extensively. It’s probably a good thing the watch only has 2GB free. The only way to transfer any music to it is via Bluetooth (no, the USB port does not do data, just charging), so it’s slow going.
The case puts a ridge around the watch that does a pretty good job of creating the illusion that the watch is thinner than it really is. So even though it is just as chunky as all the other smart watches, it looks slimmer to me when it’s on my wrist.
All that is left to say, is that I am very happy with my choice. I don’t understand everyone’s obsession with round faces, they are ideal for mechanical clocks, but that is no reason to cut the corners off the display.
This guest piece was written by Marcus Kenny, and is adapted (with his permission) from his Google+ post referenced below. Thanks Marcus!
Does it have WiFi? I’m sure I read somewhere that it did. So as long as you are in range of a hot spot you can check email and use OK Google without a phone. Is this correct?
Supposedly it’s “wifi ready.” Android wear does not yet support wifi, so Google need to add it in a revision. Until that happens there is no wifi.
My battery only lasted a day the 1st day, was told to drained the battery. Now it last full 2 days!!!! What I love mist is how u need very little or no third party apps at all, whatsapp reply with voice dictation, spotify, u name it, all works fine
I use sony smartwatch 3 btw.
Hi, sorry I can’t say much about battery life because I can’t stop playing with it. I’ve only had it for 29 hours so I am still in the setup stage as I am very busy this week. The only thing I can say is that I can probably charge it while I have breakfast, when I get into a routine, so about 24 hours and charging is fast.
The charging of these devices is going to be rough. I am thinking about a second device so that I can swap and go. Hopefully fit syncs history because I don’t want interleaving data. I do get by charging my gear live at work mostly, but I hate having to carry the charge dock because if I lose or forget it the device is useless. The major advantage of the 360 (round eugh). I do want to use it for sleep data so night charging is not desirable…
I dont have a second wear device to test with, but fit syncs data with your phone, so I reckon that would work. My old watch was the Sony smartwatch 2 and I can’t live without the vibration alarm to wake me up now. I am pretty confident that I can get at last 24 hours or of my new watch.
What app do you plan to use for sleep data?
The longest I have gone off charge is about 20 hours, then I put it on the charger when it still had 20 or 30 percent charge left. I was going to bed and didn’t want to risk it conking out while I was asleep. I can live with that, if I needed a longer charge cycle, I’d buy a pebble.
no talk on battery life?
In case you were waiting for s response alert, I accidentally posted it as a new thread.
ahh thanks.
So… remember how I mentioned that it didn’t seem to have a heartrate monitor in any of the previews, despite everyone else being insistent that it would come with one? Yeah…
Avon – SONY THEMSELVES have told us it would be able to monitor your heart rate. Do you want us to call the manufacturer a liar so you can say I told you so? We are reporting what THEY said.
I never called you liars at all, if you read my comment I said that unless I see confirmed proof of a heartrate monitor, either in on a final product or in the manufacturer’s specs, then as far as I was concerned it didn’t have it included and I was disappointed about it. Granted, all you said was “Sony TOLD us it would come with it”, yet all the evidence was pointing elsewhere. I let you have the benefit of the doubt and waited until release, there’s no need to put words into my mouth.
I just told you to wait for confirmation. Didn’t see anybody being adamant about anything in response to the posts of yours I saw.
Agree about the transflective screen – I’ve got the SW2 with the same screen and the fact its always on without any backlight required and has great outdoor visibility in the brightest sunlight is a total winner especially here in sunny Oz. Makes for significantly better battery life aswell.
I don’t understand why all other AW manufacturers aren’t using this technology, or why Sony doesn’t shout this feature from the rooftops.
Just waiting for my SW3 to arrive…
If anyone wants to see a comparison photo in full sunlight, there is one on my g+ post which i linked from the bottom of the article.
“no reason to cut the corners” nice 🙂
I am so on board with this statement… We don’t use round phones tablets monitors or TV’s. So why on a small computer? It tells you the time but it is not a watch
Thanks very much for that great review, Marcus.
🙂