3 Weeks With the Sony Smartwatch 3

My wife loves watches, and we both love gadgets. It was only a matter of time before we ended up with smart watches on our wrists. Here’s my take on Sony’s latest offering.

I’ve written before about how conflicted I feel about devices that track everything you do and yet provide the kinds of connectivity and activity support that increasingly dominate life. I love tech, but I also try to tackle it critically. There are things I draw the line at, yet I can’t help be drawn to the optimism of tech-topians. I’m also a bit of a Sony fanboy.* So, that’s the context that my Sony Smartwatch 3 Executive exists in.

Here are the negatives:

• No heart rate tracking, something I really wanted.
• Large device may that overwhelm some wrists (but okay for me)
• Its a sweat collector
• For the first couple of days operation, it really lacked features. Then a software update kicked in and a whole bunch of new apps downloaded. Make sure you update.
• Google Fit sync is often behind
• Battery drains quickly when tracking (GPS) apps are activated
• Android Wear swipe patterns can take time to get used to
• I like the homescreen arrangement of the Apple Watch OS, which isn’t standard in Android Wear.
• The AUD$399 price is a little steep.* The rubber strapped version is AUD$299.

Positives:

• Good range of apps, and I find Android Wear to be more intuitive generally than Apple Watch OS, despite the homescreen issue mentioned above.
• Excellent battery life when not running tracking apps.
• Variety of great fitness tracking apps. I find RunKeeper works really well, and Fit is great when it syncs.
• Can run GPS tracking when away from your phone, an absolute must for any serious fitness tracking device
• It feels like a ‘real’ watch, and has the bulk and look to make it suitable for even semi-formal wearing
• Google Now notifications are generally on point
• The Quad ARM A7 processor is powerful enough for anything you want to throw at it, and it has 4gb memory
• Cache audio on the device for walks/runs
• Water protection means you don’t need to worry about wearing it in the rain, etc.
• It independently connects to wifi

On the whole, the positives outweigh the negatives. I’m happy to have added the Smartwatch 3 to my tech ecosystem, and it plays nicely with my Xperia Z3. I’m yet to actually pair it with Bluetooth headphones, but once that happens it becomes a fully fledged away-from-home entertainment and fitness tracking device.

Given the stainless steel casing and wristband, it seems likely the Executive Smartwatch 3 is far more durable than other fitness devices. My Jawbone UP24 started warping after about 4 months and died completely after a year of use, which the Smartwatch should outdo provided I don’t smash the screen.

Some other reviews:

• Gizmodo: “An Apple watch for Android users”
• Wareable: “One of the most complete smartwatches”