Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50, we have tested it

It is called Sony SmartWatch 3 ( SWR50 ), and it is one of the most recent smart watches from the Japanese company Sony . We are talking about a wrist accessory that incorporates all the functions of a standard smartwatch; one  touch screen of  1.6 inches with  320 x 320 pixel resolution, resistance to water and dust ( IP68 ), GPS and a battery with 420 mAh capacity, complemented by the operating system Android in its version of Android Wear .

The SmartWatch 3 is available in Spain for 230 euros , and we have had the opportunity to test it thoroughly so that, this time, we are going to get to know this product better by analyzing all its features in the following analysis of the Sony SmartWatch 3 (with video included).

Design

The Sony SmartWatch 3 is presented with a design made up of a silicone strap - black in the case of the unit we have tested - and the watch itself, which incorporates a metal base and a weight that reaches 45 grams . The closure of the watch is also metallic and, in addition, it is adjustable , so that we can adapt the size of the strap to our wrist.

The SmartWatch 3 is resistant to water and dust through the IP68 certificate , which means that we can use it in any situation (from running in the rain to swimming through water) without fear that the water could affect the operation of the device.

And for practical use, how does the Sony Smart Watch 3 respond ? The watch fits perfectly on the wrist , and in our test we did not experience any problems with the closure of the strap. In addition, despite the fact that the central part of the watch is removable, to remove it it is necessary to do it from inside the strap, in such a way that it is impossible for said part to detach when wearing the watch on the wrist.

A curious feature of the Sony SmartWatch 3 that deserves special mention is that the centerpiece of the watch can be removed from the strap . In this way, we can replace the standard strap with a strap of any other color , in addition to that we are also talking about a useful feature in order to clean the strap in depth. And it is precisely that one of the biggest disadvantages of silicone is that it attracts dirt with relative ease , something that is especially noticeable on the black strap.

The only physical button on the SmartWatch 3 is located on the right side of the clock (in case we use it on the left wrist). This button allows you to turn the screen on and off manually, although the watch itself incorporates a system that automatically illuminates the screen the moment we turn our wrist to look at the time .

screen

Screen incorporated into the Sony SmartWatch 3 has a size of 1.6 inches , is completely touch and has a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels . We are talking about a transflective screen that works completely in color just like smartphone screens do, so it is capable of displaying from full-screen photographs to black and white text.

And to talk about the screen of this smart watch we have to highlight a positive and a negative aspect; On the positive side, the excellent response of the touch screen deserves special mention , while on the negative side we have to emphasize that we miss one or two additional levels of brightness when using the watch outdoors . Based on the watch's configuration settings, the available brightness levels are a total of five .

Even so, the SmartWatch 3 incorporates a brightness sensor that allows you to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen to each situation , so we do not have to worry excessively about the aspect of brightness when using the watch.

And since the watch face is also part of the screen, in this section it is interesting that we highlight that the Sony SmartWatch 3 incorporates no less than 16 different dial designs installed as standard . These designs include virtual watch faces with finishes of all kinds; from modern spheres to spheres with a classic look, passing through spheres in which we can use photos as wallpaper. In this aspect we can confirm that the SmartWatch 3 is completely customizable .

Features

And exactly what features does the Sony SmartWatch 3 offer ? It is difficult to summarize all the functionalities that this smartwatch has, but if we had to summarize them in several categories, the scheme that we would use would be the following:

• Notifications . The SmartWatch 3 allows us to be aware of everything that happens on our smartphone without having to take it out of your pocket. The clock shows us notifications of incoming emails (allowing us to answer emails by voice), notifications of incoming messages, notifications with reminders of flights, deliveries or special dates, weather notifications, and so on.
• Personal Assistant . With a voice command we can access any type of information on the Internet through the SmartWatch 3 , as long as our mobile phone has a data rate activated. We can start a navigation through Google Maps to answer an email, to play music or activate an alarm, all without using our hands at any time.
• Physical activity . Sport is still one of the main reasons for wrist accessories. Therefore, the SmartWatch 3 also supports applications designed to collect data from physical activity of the user (though, so we can read on the net, it is not compatible with the application of Lifelog of Sony , which does happen with other accessories such as the Sony SmartBand Talk SWR30 ). Even so, a feature that stands out especially in this watch is its integrated GPS , which allows us to record our physical activity on a map that we can then import into other applications.
• And show time !

We recommend viewing the video below for any user who wants to see more in depth some of the features that has the SmartWatch 3 from Sony .

Video

[youtube width = ”500 ″ height =” 395 ″] 5pCrU9GVsXI

Android Wear, the operating system

The operating system that incorporates the Sony SmartWatch 3 installed as standard is Android , specifically in its version aimed at smart watches: Android Wear . What does this feature mean? On the one hand, the SmartWatch 3 is compatible with a large number of applications available for the Android operating system , and on the other hand, this smartwatch is also compatible with any smartphone with the Android operating system in its version of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or top .

The operation of the Android Wear operating system is simple, and we will only need a couple of minutes to adapt to the interface of the watch. Notifications appear at the bottom of the screen, and to open them we just have to slide them up. Once we open an application, we can perform an action with it by moving our finger from right to left, hide it by moving our finger from top to bottom or close it by moving our finger from left to right.

Android Wear also allows you to perform actions using voice commands . For this we can dictate any order simply by turning on the clock screen, since in this way the message of " OK Google " is shown on the dial , which tells us that to perform any voice command we have to first say that same phrase .

The connection between the watch and the smartphone is made through Bluetooth connectivity , and the Android Wear application is essential to start using the SmartWatch 3 .

Android Wear app

The Android Wear application can be downloaded for free from Google Play ( //play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.wearable.app&hl=es ) on any Android smartphone at your Android version 4.3 Jelly Bean or higher.

This application allows us to connect our mobile with the SmartWatch 3 , and its main utility resides in the configuration options that we can apply to the clock (from modifying the voice command preferences to changing the notification settings, for example).

Battery

The built-in battery inside the Sony SmartWatch 3 has a capacity of 420 mAh . In this type of accessories it is difficult to determine the autonomy, since it depends to a great extent on the use that is given to the watch; even so, for us to get an idea of ​​the autonomy of the SmartWatch 3, it is enough to bear in mind that if we use this accessory for day-to-day use, we will have to charge its battery practically at the same time as our mobile battery . Ie between one and two days of autonomy would be the figure closer to reality we can draw from this smart watch.

The battery is charged through a microUSB port built into the watch itself (a port that, by the way, is protected by a hermetic closure), in addition to the fact that inside the SmartWatch 3 box we will find the necessary USB-microUSB cable to load. The time to fully charge the battery is around two hours .

Price and final conclusions

The Sony SmartWatch 3 is available in Spain for 230 euros . We are talking about an accessory that nicely complements smartphones today and the same time, adds additional functionality geared to the comfort of the user . The SmartWatch 3 still has a long way to go -a path in which features such as autonomy or screen brightness will be improved-, but of course we are facing one of the best references of wrist accessories that today are they can buy in the market .

The competition is tough, and the SmartWatch 3 will have to face other adversaries during this Christmas campaign such as the Motorola Moto 360 ( 250 euros ), the LG G Watch R ( 280 euros ) or the Samsung Gear S ( 400 euros ). Time will tell us which smartwatch comes out as the clear winner of this battle.

Sony SmartWatch 3 (SWR50) datasheet

screen

Design

Multimedia

software

Power 

Memory

Connections

Autonomy

+ info

Price: 230 euros