Sony SmartWatch 3 review: dull design, but great for runners скачать в хорошем качестве

Sony SmartWatch 3 review: dull design, but great for runners

This here is the Sony SmartWatch 3. That might make it sound like it's the third iteration in a line of gadgets, but really, it's the first. That's because even though this is Sony's third smartwatch (fourth if you count the Sony Ericsson LiveView), it's actually Sony's first that comes with Android Wear. Both the original SmartWatch and the SmartWatch 2 ran Sony's own proprietary platform, which, while Android-friendly, didn't have nearly the same reach as Google's Android Wear. It's great that Sony has finally seen the light, but the SmartWatch 3 has arrived remarkably late to the party, letting rivals like Motorola, LG and Samsung gain ground. On the other hand, the SmartWatch 3 is currently the only Android Wear option with a built-in GPS radio, allowing for more precise workout tracking. Which, as it turns out, could be enough to help Sony stand apart from the pack. Sony's latest smartwatch won't be for everyone, what with its dull design and muted screen. Still, this is currently the only Android Wear device with a built-in GPS radio, making it a smart choice for runners and other athletes interested in tracking their pace and distance. While some Android Wear watches like the Moto 360 and the ASUS ZenWatch make attempts at being stylish, Sony's SmartWatch 3 seems to have given up that notion entirely. Its square watch face, in combination with a rubber strap, definitely gives it more of a sporty, utilitarian look than a fashionable one. Worse still, the band that encapsulates the watch makes the 1.6-inch display seem larger than it is. Indeed, while the bezel surrounding the screen is relatively small, it appears so much thicker when worn in the strap, giving it an unfortunately chunky appearance. Yet, the fit is not altogether uncomfortable. The flexible strap is coated in what feels like a soft-touch velveteen material, and the weight of the core watch unit is only 39 grams (with the strap, it's about 66 grams). It's relatively easy to take on and off thanks to a simple metal clasp, which you can adjust to fit the size of your wrist. The watch might jostle around a bit when you're running, but on the whole I found it pleasant enough to wear on a daily basis. The SmartWatch 3's wrist strap comes in a few different colors: white, black, pink and green. To swap them out, simply push the watch unit out of its rubber enclosure; it should pop out without much effort. That's easy enough, but this does mean that the SmartWatch 3 isn't compatible with standard 22mm straps, so you're stuck with whatever bands Sony offers. Unlike a lot of other smartwatches, Sony's latest doesn't need a proprietary charging dock or cradle. It actually has a micro-USB port housed right in the watch itself, over on the backside, covered by a removable rubber stopper. Though portable charging docks generally contribute to slimmer and more streamlined designs, I actually really like that the watch has this built-in port. If it means not having to carry around yet another thing with me when I travel, I'm all for it. I do recommend popping the watch out of its rubber strap before plugging in the charging cable, however, because it's rather awkward otherwise. If you want the watch to survive a dunk in the pool, you should definitely keep that micro-USB port sealed. Once covered though, the SmartWatch 3 is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance, which means it can withstand submersion in up to 4.9 feet of water for 30 minutes. That's a touch better than the IP67 rating for most other watches like the Moto 360 and the LG G Watch R, which can supposedly be submerged in up to a meter (3.28 feet) of water for half an hour. Though you'll be doing most of your navigation via the watch's touchscreen display, the SmartWatch 3 does have a physical button on the side for when you need to quickly wake it up (or put it back to sleep). You can also hold it down as a shortcut to the Settings menu. The button sits slightly above the surface of the strap and has a nice give when pressed. Internally, the SmartWatch 3 makes use of a rather beefy 1.2GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor along with 512MB of RAM, plus 4GB of built-in storage so that you can load it with apps 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 pair with your phone, or connect to a set of headphones. As I noted earlier, the SmartWatch 3 is also the first Android Wear device to have built-in GPS, which I'll return to in much greater detail in just a moment. It's also said to have WiFi and NFC capabilities on board, but as Android Wear doesn't quite support those two functions just yet, I wasn't able to test them. Still, it's comforting to know that the SmartWatch 3 is future-proof in this regard -- something I can't say about most earlier Android Wear devices.