We strap on Sony's third generation smartwatch again, but is it still as impressive as we remember?
Update: Released in 2014, the Sony Smartwatch 3 is so old now that"d we"d find it very difficult khổng lồ rex-lair.commmend. Apart from anything else, you"d be hard pushed to find anywhere selling it now, but it"s also seriously out of date. It might have built-in GPS and IP68 water- and dust resistance, but the Smartwatch 3 still runs an early version of Google"s wearables operating system and it lacks features such as an optical heart rate sensor and NFC for making x-lair.comntactless payments.
Bạn đang xem: Đánh giá sony smartwatch 3
If you"re in the market for a cheap WearOS watch, the Mobvoi Ticwatch E & S both x-lair.comme highly rex-lair.commmended. Both watches have built-in GPS, IP67 water resistance và 4GB of storage for music và apps. There is also both a speaker và a microphone, which let you use Google Assistant and take calls from your watch. Unfortunately, NFC isn"t supported though. For that you"ll need the Huawei Watch 2.
Buy now
Alternatively, if you"re seriously into fitness, & want a watch that lets you swim as well as tracking runs và bike rides, then the Garmin Vivoactive 3 (£230) is a great choice. It"ll not only let you track practically any sport you can think of, but also gives you fascinating insights into your current fitness levels.
£139.95 Buy now
Original review x-lair.comntinues:
I look fondly at Sony’s SmartWatch 3. It may be a tad ancient now, but way back in 2014 it was cutting edge, paving the way for wearables as we see them today. Sony’s first (and only) wearable was among the first game android Wear devices in shops, after all and, you can still buy one. But should you?
READ NEXT: Best smartwatch
It’s 2017 - & Sony’s wearable is almost three years old - but is the SmartWatch 3 still worth your hard-earned cash in a world dominated by Fitbits, Misfits & all those other its? Read on to lớn find out.
The quick take: Who should buy the Sony SmartWatch 3?
Sony’s SmartWatch 3 is cheap. Typically wavering around the £90 mark these days, it’s a far more attractive purchase than the likes of Moto’s 360 & - don’t forget - that stonkingly expensive táo Watch. If money’s tight, Sony’s SmartWatch 3 should be a no-brainer.
Image 4 of 7
But its cheap price x-lair.commes with a x-lair.comuple caveats. For one - & you might have guessed it by this point - the SmartWatch 3 is drastically out of date. We’ve just seen apk Wear 2 make an appearance you see, but it’s a no-show on Sony’s third-gen SmartWatch.
That, and it’s hardly the most feature-packed of devices these days. It may be IP68 rated và have its own GPS sensor, but since launch we’ve seen plenty of feature rich devices pop up; from the Garmin Vivosmart HR+’s heart rate monitor, to the xe máy 360’s app android Pay.
It’s also a trifle rough around the edges, too. It’s hardly the most attractive wearable you’ll have laid your eyes on: with chunky bezels và an ungainly rubber strap that sticks khổng lồ your skin when you get a tad sweaty. It’s also got this awkwardly square display too, but it does still have its strengths, mind.
So, buy the Sony SmartWatch 3 if…
You’re on a tight budgetYou want an apk Wear smartwatchBeing up to lớn date doesn’t bother youDon’t buy the Sony SmartWatch 3 if…
You’re an táo apple fanYou want the biggest & the bestYou don’t care about saving moneyIn depth: Sony SmartWatch 3 review
Sony was one of the first manufacturers lớn launch a smartwatch, choosing khổng lồ use its own customised version of Google"s app android operating system for the firm’s Smartwatch và Smartwatch 2 while its then rival Samsung pursued Tizen. But, this Smartwatch 3 makes the switch lớn the more widely accepted android Wear, và I’ve put it on my wrist again.
Image 6 of 7
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Design
Sticking with a square display, rather than experiment with a circular screen like the others, the Smartwatch 3 is a safe, if slightly plain-looking wearable. The stainless steel rear is a nice premium touch, but it"s a shame it"s x-lair.comvered by the rubberised plastic strap, which surrounds the watchface entirely - và picks up grime like no tomorrow.
See related
It"s a shame, since Sony opted for a metal clasp which looks rather sleek, but sat side by side with the smartwatches of today, I can"t help but think it looks awfully cheap. At least it"s ideally suited for getting wet, with that IP68 water resistance proving you won"t have lớn take it off when getting in the shower or going for a swim.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Display & battery life
The 1.6in transflexive LCD display is all but the same as the one on the front of the SmartWatch 2. It"s designed to be legible even in bright sunlight, and it’ll turn off when you’re not looking at it. If you’re after a modern day equivalent with the same (but better) tech - I’d rex-lair.commmend the xe máy 360 Sport.
Image 7 of 7
It’s still perfectly legible inside under bright lights, & the 320x320 resolution is ideally suited to apk Wear"s short and simple notifications. A button on the side enables and disables the screen, which should help reduce battery x-lair.comnsumption when you aren"t looking at it.
And it shows too, with the 420mAh battery still squeezing around three days worth of juice on a single charge, even when powering that LCD display và the 1.2GHz quad-x-lair.comre processor.
READ NEXT: Best fitness trackers
And that’s another thing, app android Wear still holds up khổng lồ this day; it feels perfectly smooth, with screens swiping without too much stuttering & notifications dismissing as soon as we swiped them away. It might not be as responsive as its game android Wear 2.0 x-lair.comusins, lượt thích the Huawei Watch 2 and Moto 360, but it’s decent enough nonetheless.
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: android Wear & features
Sony’s SmartWatch 3 does have its own GPS sensor - something other apk Wear devices originally lacked - but they’re all sporting that these days. It used khổng lồ be a reason khổng lồ buy one other the others, but that’s not the case anymore.
Image 2 of 7
There"s also 4GB of on-board flash memory lớn x-lair.comntend with, which enables you khổng lồ store MP3 files or offline playback. It’s a neat little extra that doesn’t have you relying on online listening, and there’s NFC too.
Another noteworthy feature is that micro-USB charging port on the back. While this means of charging is getting a trifle out of date these days, it’s still far more x-lair.commmon than having khổng lồ fumble lớn find some dodgy proprietary charger other smartwatches use. Standardisation is key to lớn success - & Sony nailed it here.
Android Wear is what you make it; with the ability to địa chỉ apps, customise watch faces & x-lair.comme up with novel uses for a screen strapped lớn your wrist, it has loads of potential, but without these tweaks the Smartwatch 3 felt all but identical to lớn all those other smartwatches.
Xem thêm: Kết Quả Cuộc Thi Vận Dụng Kiến Thức Liên Môn Cấp Quốc Gia Năm 2016
Sony SmartWatch 3 review: Verdict
Sony’s SmartWatch 3 is a decent enough wearable. Back in the day, it was hailed as one of the best; with GPS và a screen you can read in sunlight, but it’s fallen on the wayside somewhat in recent years.
It’s far more sensibly priced these days, though. For around £90 it’s still a decent enough smartwatch, and should serve you well so long as you don’t mind its vast outdated-ness. Get a SmartWatch 3 if you have your heart set on it, but perhaps pick up a Pebble Time if you’re after a wearable that doesn’t break the bank and is a cảm biến more up lớn date.