Sony has unveiled the third generation of SmartWatch to the public with a clear desire to stake out a promising niche in the smart watch market. From the predecessor with the prefix 2 in the new model, only the name remains, in all other respects it is a completely different product. The gadget turned out to be very interesting, and in addition to working on the mistakes of past series, the company endowed the watch with additional and useful features, completely reworking the functionality and structure of the model itself.
So, the hero of today's review is the Sony SmartWatch 3 smart watch. Let's try to identify all the advantages of the model along with the disadvantages, based on the opinions of experts and reviews of ordinary consumers.
Appearance
It is generally accepted that Apple and Motorola remain Sony's main competitors in terms of design and innovation. In fact, the way it is: if you look at all the gadgets from the Japanese company from the side, you can see that they all have their own distinctive and recognizable design, whether it's a bracelet, phone or tablet.
But looking at the Sony SmartWatch 3, you can't see anything enthusiastic or easily recognizable in them. Model weaklystands out from its competitors such as Samsung's Galaxy Gear or LG's G Watch. But when it comes to design, everything is complicated and easy at the same time.
Difficult, because every fan of smartwatches has his own tastes and preferences, and perhaps it is you who will remain indifferent to the appearance, and he will intrigue someone and sink into the soul. In order to understand whether they are “yours” or not, just look at them from the outside.
As for the color scheme, it does not shine with variety and is limited to three options: white, black and lemon. As an addition to the alternative, you can additionally purchase a strap for the Sony SmartWatch 3 in pink.
At this year's international CES, the company announced a model with a metal strap. They are not yet sold on our territory, but their cost is already known - 15,500 rubles, which is 6,000 more expensive than the ordinary version. By the way, with an aluminum strap in the kit, the watch looks much more interesting than the expensive version of the Sony SmartWatch 3 metal, and resembles the branded Sony Style.
Assembly
The Sony SmartWatch 3 comes standard with rubberized material in your chosen range. The hand does not get tired at all from prolonged wearing, but you need to keep in mind that you should not tighten the belt too much. The control module in the watch can be easily removed from the strap, which is extremely convenient for recharging.
The front of the watch is protected by glass, while the back is made of steel. On the right side of the Sony SmartWatch 3, you cansee the power button, and behind is a plug for the micro-USB connector. The watch is equipped with a reliable protection of the IP68 standard, which guarantees its moisture and dust resistance - theoretically, you can swim in it, but user reviews indicate the weak point of the model in the face of the plug, so there is a risk of water getting under it.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the Sony SmartWatch 3 may seem slightly exaggerated to some, which may cause some discomfort during use, limiting wrist mobility, but judging by consumer reviews, this problem is an extremely rare case.
The watch measures 36x51x10 mm and weighs 40 grams without a strap, its weight is slightly less than the main module - 35-38 grams.
Sony SmartWatch Screen 3
The screen review showed typical characteristics for smartwatches: display diagonal - 1.6 inches, TFT-matrix with a resolution of 320 by 320 pixels, protective glass, coupled with an oleophobic coating.
Pixelization is noticeable at close viewing, but there are no complaints about reading information from the watch - the fonts are perfectly distinguishable, and if there are any difficulties, you can always bring your hand closer to your face. The presence of an oleophobic coating is especially pleasing - this is a really important and useful element for such an accessory.
The unpretentious TN-matrix is clearly not up to the good performance of the Sony SmartWatch 3. An oblique view either reduces brightness or significantly inverts colors, so work with the clockfalls at a right angle. But what pleases is the absence of an AMOLED matrix, which is so actively used by similar gadget manufacturers. The thing is that the PenTile system existing in SmartWatch makes a readable font precisely at low screen resolutions and it is much easier to parse the text on the watch than reading it on the same Samsung Galaxy Note with an AMOLED matrix.
In addition, the clock has an interesting function that the "neighbors" do not have, it is called on / on - "keep the screen constantly on." When activated, the backlight turns off, but the user still has access to information about the time and basic notifications. Thanks to it, you can easily find out the time even on a bright and sunny day.
Connection
The Sony SmartWatch 3 is equipped with an NFC module that provides synergy with any smartphone running the Android 4.3 operating system. and higher. You just need to attach the module to a similar one on your phone, and you can exchange data. As a software, we can recommend a verified and official application from Google Play - Android Wear.
Functionality
The features of the Sony SmartWatch 3 can be roughly divided into two parts: notifications and voice dialing.
When the watch is synchronized with a smartphone, each new notification is duplicated on them. If this is not necessary, then you can disable this function in the menu. By itself, this feature is very convenient, especially if you have a "rich" mailbox and a rich social Internet life. Before you view the information on your smartphone, you can first preview it on your watch and decide whether to take out the phone at all. By the way, there are no speakers on the watch, but vibration is more than enough to receive notifications.
As a voice assistant, you can use the same Andriod Wear. You can easily dictate notes or messages, find something on the web or launch any application on your device, for example, a player. The ability to switch tracks is available both in voice mode and on the lock screen.
Work offline
The watch is equipped with a 420 mAh non-removable rechargeable battery. You should not expect any miracles from the battery, but it successfully copes with its main functions. In medium load mode (constant synchronization, periodic notification checking, menu navigation), the battery is discharged in 20-30 hours. If you actively use the gadget, then it may not be enough for daylight hours. The battery charges in one hour from a standard 220 volt network.
Summing up
In retail stores you can find SmartWatch 3 for 9,000 rubles. If you need a more impressive model with a metal strap, then we pre-order for 15,000 rubles and look forward to buying it.
For the money you give away by buying SmartWatch 3, you will get a gadget that allows you to take your smartphone out of your pocket less often, can count your steps, a GPS tracker and much more if you install additional applications.
First of all, you need to find out for yourself - do you needsuch a device and are you ready to spend that kind of money on it, especially since for 9,000 rubles you can buy a completely adequate smartphone from a reputable brand. But in any case, the watch meets the "price / quality" criteria and is worth the money.
