After breaking cover in the Playstore in June this year Sony has now officially announced the SmartBand 2.
The updated fitness tracker has kept all of the features from the original device we reviewed last July and has added a heart rate sensor. As fitness trackers are becoming more and more common, and more and more commoditised it is getting increasingly harder for companies to differentiate themselves, the Sony SamrtBand 2 features
- Activity tracking(including walk/ run detection)
- Heart rate tracking
- Sleep tracking – with vibration alarm
- Notification LED – configurable via the app.
- Basic media controls
- Swappable bands
- IP68 waterproofing
- 2-day battery life – rechargeable via cap-less micro USB
- Companion “logger” app
The Smartband 2 has a fairly long list of features, including some potentially useful additions that some other fitness trackers don’t include. Despite the availability of smartwatches, like those running Android Wear, the fitness tracking space continues to be an area of consumer interest and Sony is obviously trying the eat into a market dominated by players such as Jawbone and Fitbit.
Sony announced that the device will launch in 60 countries worldwide from September this year, at a launch price of 119 euros, approximately $180 AUD. We have reached out to Sony Australia to confirm availability, pricing and distribution channels for the Australian market.
Are you looking for a fitness tracker that is compatible with Android and can do that little bit extra? What are you looking for in a wrist-worn wearable?
