While Apple are only just about to launch their anticipated “Apple iWatch”, Sony are already on the third model of their SmartWatch series, with the SWR50 arriving to provide a self described “contextual and personal” experience, with “a groundbreaking combination of technology and style.” So does it live up to its proposition? We’ve had the chance to spend a month with the wearable to decide for ourselves.
The “Fitness” Design
Well I guess this is where the “contexual” fits in – this is a watch that, like Sony’s other SmartBand series, is made for fitness, incorporating built-in apps to track your “steps” from the moment you turn it on. The feature works even without you connecting it to your phone (though connecting it to your phone does open up a wide range of new features).
A built-in GPS also allows you to track everything without having to have your phone on you – a big plus for those looking to keep track of their routine without carrying around their Android. It even tracks your movement different when you ride a bike – which is impressive.
What this emphasis does mean, however, is that the product is made out of silicon to make it resistant to water and sweat. It’s IP68 rated, meaning it will survive comfortably in rain or in the shower. You could really even go for a swim with it, though that’s not something I’m ever game enough to test out (as evidenced in my Xperia Z3 review from last year). So, this in mind, it’s far to say that the watch is far from the most attractive product on the market. And being a bit “clunky” rather than “sleek”, it’s probably not going to be one you’ll be showing off on your next date night. But, let’s keep it contextual.
This is designed for the active man or woman. The fitness fan who is looking for a bit more than what the SmartBand offers. With built-in ambient light sensors, an accelerometer, a compass, gyro and GPS it certainly offers a lot – though the heart rate monitor, which does exist in the SmartBand is notably missing and to get the most out of the watch, you will need to sync it with .
The main issue I have with the design, however, is the placement of the charging port. Tucked at the bottom of its back, with a frustrating cover (it likes to get in the way of you plugging it in at all), it’s difficult to access. And the concept of having to charge your watch is a frustrating one to begin with. They also only provide a tiny USB cord for charging, which in itself is a pain. You do get two days of battery though, and if you turn it off at night you can probably get to three – though they don’t make it easy to turn off.
While most products allow you to hold down the side button to turn them off, here you have to get into the settings, then scroll through to the power off option. It’s a small gripe – but if you’re one who wants to turn your watch off regularly, it would have been an easy one to fix (and perhaps there is a way to make the button react to my request in that way, but haven’t work it out yet if so…)
App Interaction
Wearables get most interesting when we consider them as a partner of the mobile. Whether or not any of these features are useful, however, really comes down to the sort of life you lead. If you’re someone who gets a lot of phone calls, but has a lot of meetings, the feature of a phone notification coming through your phone, with a one touch ability to hang up on them and simultaneously send them a text saying “I’ll Call You Right Back” is incredibly useful. Likewise, being able to set reminders and have it come up with a small vibration can be a handy feature for a busy life. And for those (like me) who receive way too many emails, being able to quickly see what’s coming in is a great way to ensure you’re not missing anything urgent.
There are more apps than you can count for Wearables like the SmartWatch, and more are coming out every day. I feel like the real power of these products will be created not by Sony, but by the developers who come up with a brand new App idea that revolutionises the product, in the same way that apps like Tinder have changed the way we “e-date” through our mobiles, or Twitter in the way we can communicate with the world on the go. And yes, both of these apps have integration into your SmartWatch.
Music… via Bluetooth!
This feature does work well. If you have Bluetooth headphones, you can connect it to your watch and listen to music on the go through the built in Walkman app. It took me a while to get it working, but once I did it’s a fantastic selling point for the product.
The Power
Looking under the hood of this watch, we have a lot to be impressed by. There’s 4GB of storage here, allowing you to install a wide variety of apps and enjoy music on the go with bluetooth headphones. The CPU is a 1.2GHz quad-core and there’s 512 MB of RAM. This is a better computer than the one I had only a few years ago…
But is that power well utilised? Well, it’s hard to say. The key to it needing the power though is that it’s doing a lot of this at once, often without a phone around. It’s constantly updating you on tweets, e-mails and Facebook notifications, while ensuring you’re up to date on your schedule, keeping track on your steps and making sure alarms go off at the right time. It does all this without any notable slowdown (and I have tonnes of notifications at the best of times), which certainly means the power is working for it…
The Screen
And then there’s the 1.6″ Transflective LCD Screen, with 320 x 320 pixel resolution. From the minute you turn the phone off, it wows you with colours – moving balls that help introduce you to Sony’s newest wearable. It’s hardly reflective of what you generally will experience on the phone though – which is fairly simplistic. But it does look good, and the screen works well in most lighting environments – and I’m sure there are apps out there that can make it look prettier than it is with its standard settings.
It turns off and on by touch, or my moving your arm to look at it (a feature you can turn on and off), which does work surprisingly well. There’s also a cinema mode which keeps the watch from turning on unless you press the button on the side. A worthy and much needed feature. You can also manually adjust brightness levels.
The Verdict
Ultimately what Sony have tried to do with the SmartWatch is create a product that sits somewhere between the popular Fitness Band series of wearables (like their own SmartBand) and the app-focused watch series like Apple’s forthcoming product. Many of its features are fantastic, from its built-in fitness focus, to the connectivity to your Android Smartphone. And the amount of tech they’ve crammed into the product is quite remarkable.
Really it’s just the little things that bring the product down: the placement of its charging port, the difficulty in turning it off (why can’t I just hold down the button and get the option?), the lack of some fitness features like Heart Rate tracking.
I have to say, that it’s hard to imagine the sort of user that would need this product. You’ll likely replace it with something better looking during the evenings, and if you are fitness prone, you may be better off getting the cheaper SmartBand, which offers more features focused on fitness, albeit not much of anything else.
Really what sets it apart from those products are its music features and its ability to operate some great features without being near an Android phone (with GPS active and best utilised through Google’s app My Tracks). Though it’s definitely not worth a purchase without one, as you need your Android to update it and give it new features. And with these things in mind, you should probably know by now whether or not this product is for you. It’s a fitness wearable with all the bells and whistles you could ever want. Whether you need them though, that’s up to you…
The author kindly permitted himself to be the arm and hand model for this article. Look out Duchovny! Johnny Au took the photos, except for the shot with the phone, which was provided by Sony. Telstra provided the Smartwatch for review, and it was used connected up to the Sony Xperia Z3 on the Telstra Network.
