Available
now 25th June 2013
Sony launched their first Smartwatch last year and with interest
increasing in this type of device they have now followed it up with
the Sony Smartwatch 2.
Featuring a 1.6" 220 x 176 pixel screen and a Bluetooth
connection to your Android smartphone, the Smartwatch 2 can access
your messages, social networking sites and calendar, play music
stored on your device and can also work with a Bluetooth headset
to make and receive calls. You can even use it to control a remote
camera, giving you the chance to be in your own photos for once.
The
paired Android smartphone is controlled through an application that
can be downloaded from the Google Play store, and crucially this
will work with non-Sony devices (although your experiences may vary).
The Smartwatch 2 is water and dust resistant to IP57 standards (but
don't wear it in the bath), and the screen is designed to be bright
enough to read in daylight.
The Smartwatch 2 is NFC compatible and is charged through the
microUSB port. Sony say that in normal usage it would last 3-4 days
with a maximum of 7 on a single charge. Unfortunately it doesn't
support wireless charging, although that would add to the size and
weight. On the subject of size, the Smartwatch 2 measures 42 x 41
x 9mm and weighs 123 grams including the metal strap that is included
as standard.
If you want one of these, then you probably already know it.
Sony say that the Smartwatch 2 should be available from September
onwards and although no guidance was given on price, the current
model can be had for less than €80 and we would expect the new version
to be about the same price. (Update: the launch price is
actually around €140 so we got that wrong!)
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