Sony Smartwatch 3

[EarDemon]

Ordered one of these on eBay and it arrived on Monday. So far I'm loving i! While the Moto 360 may be one of the most fashionable smartwatches on the market, I've always been one for function over form. Between the IP68 rating, one of the best batteries in a smartwatch and the micro USB port for charging, it was a no brainer for me to choose this as my first drive into the world of Android wear. This is actually my third Sony Smartwatch though, I owned the original version, and before that, it's predecessor the Sony Ericsson Live View.

I loved the screen size and clarity. A lot of the initial reviews said the screen is dull. It really isn't that bad, and because its TFT it is great in sunlight unlike the previous versions I have. Battery life is phenomenal. I had it changing Monday night as it was doing software updates and downloading a bunch of apps for it and it wasn't plugged in again until I got home from work on Thursday. And that's with maximum brightness and the 'always on' screen feature enabled. With Always On, the screen dims down to minimum brightness when not being used, but is still legible and when the accelerometer activates as your arm moves toward your face it brightens up.

Having a dedicated GPS sensor in the watch without the need of a phone is nice, and I cannot wait until the Android Wear software supports wifi, so i can use the full functionality of this watch at work no matter where I am or where my phone is. Lots of cool apps for Android wear. Downloaded a few weather apps, watchface apps and calculator apps. Also nice is having all of my ESPN, NFL, NHL, NASCAR, UFC and Fox News alerts right on my wrist along with all of my Google Now cards. The email app isn't the greatest though, and I've downloaded a web browser for the watch, but it's pretty clunky. Voice reconciliation is spot on and the Amazon app was brilliantly done.

The watch is pretty comfortable to wear as well. When I used to wear watches it was always rubber watch bands. I hate the metal ones that pinch and rip out arm hair and the leather ones make my wrist sweat.

 

[John Kotches]

I look forward to reading your impressions in another week.



Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[TheForce]

I've been really happy with my Smartwatch2 since it came out. Each update brought better features. I saw the 3 and decided to just hold out as the new design didn't suit me as well. I got a military grade black SS band that fit the Sony 2 and it would not work on the 3. But mainly, I am on standby to get an Apple watch now. I've always been unhappy that it has no water resistance and could be ruined with a little rain so I have always been real careful. The Apple is probably better for that as it is rated water resistance IPX7. On the Sony, water can splash into the charging port. I wonder if Sony fixed that on the version 3.

 

[EarDemon]

The charging port is on the underneath of the watch and there is an attached cover for it. You can get a good view of it on the fourth and sixth pictures on Sony's site.

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/smartwear/smartwatch-3-swr50/

The Apple Watch will only be IPX7, the Sony SW3 is IP68. It should have no problem surviving showering or swimming with it on, the Apple watch, probably not. The SW2 is the only Sony watch I never had, I almost bought one but as soon as it was announced the 3 would use Android Wear I decided to wait until I could get one for a decent price, ($160 NIB on eBay) According to Sony, the SW2 has an IP rating of 57, so in theory it should have the same water resistance as the Apple thing. Their upcoming Xperia Z4 tablet also has an IP68 rating, which I will be getting as well. I am so glad durability is no longer an after thought. At work I have a Panasonic ThoughPad WIN8.1 tablet which totally rocks. I know the Z4 will be no where near as durable, but at least it's not an iPad.

 

[EarDemon]

I look forward to reading your impressions in another week.



Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

It hasn't been a week but I'm still lovin’ my SW3! Downloaded a very nice watch face for $1.39 that shows me everything I can to see in one nice layout.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.ddroid.aw.watchface.f03

Also, found an unofficial Philips Hue app that is both a phone app and Android Wear app to control my Hue Personal Lighting System. The phone portion has a lot to be desired. You can’t do highly customized recipes like the real Hue app, or have it sync to music like Hue Disco. On the watch, like on the phone all you can do is turn the lights on or off, but you can do it with a voice command. That’s pretty cool.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.q42.huelimitededition

I'm still getting wonderful battery life, and I love getting my usual notifications on my wrist. My only complaint, besides the wifi not being active, is I would rather have the traditional Android style app drawer and launcher like the SW1 and I think SW2 had.

 

[spoonbill1980]

The Smartwatch3 has the best look compared to its predecessors. I like its sleek style that you could actually wear anytime. The main downside is that the difficulty you'd get in reading the screen in direct sunlight.

 

[EarDemon]

Not really. The SW3 looks pretty good in the sun.

 

[TheForce]

The charging port is on the underneath of the watch and there is an attached cover for it. You can get a good view of it on the fourth and sixth pictures on Sony's site.

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en/products/smartwear/smartwatch-3-swr50/

The Apple Watch will only be IPX7, the Sony SW3 is IP68. It should have no problem surviving showering or swimming with it on, the Apple watch, probably not. The SW2 is the only Sony watch I never had, I almost bought one but as soon as it was announced the 3 would use Android Wear I decided to wait until I could get one for a decent price, ($160 NIB on eBay) According to Sony, the SW2 has an IP rating of 57, so in theory it should have the same water resistance as the Apple thing. Their upcoming Xperia Z4 tablet also has an IP68 rating, which I will be getting as well. I am so glad durability is no longer an after thought. At work I have a Panasonic ThoughPad WIN8.1 tablet which totally rocks. I know the Z4 will be no where near as durable, but at least it's not an iPad.

I took a look at the specs and the 7 rating means up to 1M water immersion for 30 minutes without water intrusion. The 8 rating is water immersion beyond 1 meter to be specified by the manufacturer for an indefinite period of time. If the pressure is not specified it is 9 meters of pressure. You should assume your Smartwatch3 is rated to 9 meters of water depth for an indefinite period of time. Definitely safe for snorkeling and free diving, IMO.

I don't plan to wear the Apple watch underwater diving or even swimming, but knowing it is good to 1 meter and reports that the watch can be worn in the rain, satisfies my needs. My Smartwatch2 has been in a number of heavy rain downpours and has gotten wet but in my own panic, I opened it up on the charging port cover and wicked the water out with a paper towel ASAP. Apparently no damage to the port. But, I never wore it snorkeling which is the only kind of diving I do these days. I wear my Seiko Diver's watch in the water.

I haven't had any issues with visibility of my Sony 2 in the sun either. The Apple watch is unknown at this point. That would be a bummer if we discover it can't be seen outdoors.


Continuing to review your Sony web link on the 3-

In the specification support file, it says:
* In compliance with IP68, this accessory is protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the accessory can be kept under 1.50 metres of freshwater for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP68.

There you have your limits, 1.5 meters as opposed to 1 meter. I think we're splitting hairs here.

It also says the watch is wifi ready.

In case you haven't read it here is the link-

http://www-support-downloads.sonymobile.com/swr50/whitepaper_EN_swr50_smartwatch3_2.pdf

 

[EarDemon]

Yes, the SW3 has a wifi radio in it, but wifi is not supported by Android Wear yet. The next update will include support for it and a few other things.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/10/8181069/android-wear-update-wi-fi-support-gesture-control

 

[EarDemon]

Well it’s been a month and I’m still loving the Smartwatch 3 from Sony. Battery life is still stable at about three days. I charge it Monday and Thursday mornings while I’m in the shower and getting ready for work and usually charge it at some point during the weekend. It charges super quick, it goes from very low to 100% in the matter of about 45 minutes.

I’m getting used to the apps and the notification cards. The calculator has come in handy a few times, and I love getting my notifications and such on my wrist. To my surprise I have not forgotten to put it on so far.

One thing that really erks me is everyone at work, my family at Easter and my extended family this past weekend at a surprise birthday get together thought it was an Apple watch. I’ve been playing this off differently depending on the person. One guy at work, when he asked, I told him it was the Apple Watch and that I was able to get it before the general public and had him going for a few days. He wanted to see the Mickey watch face like on TV and I told him I got rid of that and showed him the watch face that I purchased that I mentioned above and he thought it was much cooler. One of my relatives brought up the Apple Watch and asked me what I thought, and I told her bluntly I think all Apple products suck and showed her my SW3. She asked if it was the Apple Watch, I said it was a Sony Powered by Android Wear, and she went on about how everyone copies Apple. Yeah right. This is the fourth generation Smart Watch from Sony and it came out almost six months ago, and they’re coping Apple’s thing that hasn't even been released yet.

It was priceless though to see the reaction Saturday evening at the Birthday get together when someone was talking about the Masters and I picked up my phone, launched one of my remote control apps and changed the (up high, almost out of sight) TWC cable box that was connected to the TV in our private party room from whatever was on to the local CBS affiliate. Everyone wondered how I did it and how they could do the same thing, and I in a snoddy voice exclaimed that their crippled Apple phones doesn't have IR blasters.

Everytime I am exposed to my extended family, I remind myself why I left the world of Apple and how grateful I am for it. Funny how two years ago my old Droid DNA at 5" was 'waaaaaaaaaaaaay too big' but now a 5.5" Apple phone is the bestest thing ever.

 

[dishfan82]

So with the Sony watch can you get different bands? When the watch is in sleep mode do you have to hit the button every time to wake it up?

 

[EarDemon]

So with the Sony watch can you get different bands? When the watch is in sleep mode do you have to hit the button every time to wake it up?

Yes, there are a variety of different colored bands, along with a stainless steel one,and some leather ones may be on their way.

I have no idea about sleep mode. I have the display set to always on, which is dim when your arm is by your side, or when the sensor is covered up. When you flick your wrist or bring it to your face, it fully illuminates. i let someone borrow it for the day and will not have it back until tomorrow, or otherwise I would check.

 

[dishfan82]

It looks like it can do everything the iWatch does. I think it's even 120.00 cheaper too.

 

[EarDemon]

I'm not sure what the Apple Watch is supposed to cost, but don't look at the $250 MSRP of the Sony SW3. You can find them new in box, for $200 or less on eBay pretty easy. Like I said I paid $160, plus a few bucks for shipping for mine.

 

[dishfan82]

How does it feel on the wrist? Does it feel comfortable enough? I wish I could try it on before I buy.

 

[EarDemon]

I think it feels fine. I haven't worn a watch on a regular basis in about 12 or 13 years so it took some time to get used to having something on my wrist again, but now I don't notice it so much. When I had the Live View and the SW1, I never made a conscious effort to wear them on a daily basis, the Live View I found a bit uncomfortable with it's velcro strap, and the SW1 was a little bulky. The SW3 is the most comfortable of the three for me to wear and I love that it has a clasp. When I wore watches, I always had the latest Casio Illuminator Calculator watch with all of the bells and whistles, this feels is pretty much the same but it's a little larger.

 

[TheForce]

Your experience with the 3 version on battery life is about the same as what I get with my 2. So, it seems there has been no improvement in battery life. I can say, though, it hasn't been much of a problem because the recharge time is only about 20-45 minutes as you experienced.

I have not had the same experience as you with family and friends mistaking the Sony for an Apple watch.

Anyway, I've had a good experience with my Sony and Samsung Galaxy s5 pair but I am ready to move beyond the Android and get connected to the rest of my family with an iphone6+ and the Apple Watch. We take delivery today of the first of 3 I bought in the announcement day. My wife will get hers first today and seems most excited about the Mickey Mouse Face and remote control of the camera as well as syncing all our watches as a family.

I don't recall you mentioning but I discovered my Sony 2 had a real performance improvement when I upgraded my phone from an older generation htc to the Samsung Galaxy s5. I think these Sony watches are really dependent on a good fast, latest model phone for the best performance.

 

[JAG72]

Anybody having issues with the watch since upgrading to 5.1.1? I seem to have a draining issue and it looks like I am going to have to start disabling apps to see which one is causing the issue.

 

[EarDemon]

I have not noticed a decrease in battery life on the SW3 since the 5.1.1 update. Just prior to receiving the OS update, the watch face that I use received an update and that had a negative impact on battery life, but I reverted back to one of the stock watch faces for the time being and even after the update I have not noticed a big difference. I love that the wifi is enabled now, but I only use it at home, When I'm away from home or at work I don't use it, and have Cloud Sync disabled which from what I read is a huge battery drain. When not at home I almost always carry my phone in my cargo pocket so I'm always within bluetooth range. I still charge the watch 2-3 times a week and it still charges from near empty to full in about 45 minutes. Google Maps is much more usable for me now and while sometime it can be annoying, I'm growing fond of scrolling through my notifications with a flick of the wrist.