SmartWatch 3 feels like an Android Wear stop-gap

Sony announced the SmartWatch 3 SWR50 earlier this week at the IFA 2014 tradeshow. One of the most interesting rumours around the watch before it was formerly announced was that it would run Android Wear. Just over five months ago, Sony was on record saying that it had no plans to adopt Android Wear in future SmartWatch products.

Well obviously something changed at Sony HQ, almost the realisation that it perhaps would have a difficult time growing its current SmartWatch ecosystem given the momentum behind Android Wear. The result is the SmartWatch 3 which includes GPS, 4GB internal storage, IP68 certification for dust and water resistance.

Specs-wise there is not much to fault the watch, however given how fast this wearable segment has moved since the SmartWatch 2 was launched a year ago, the design feels a bit underwhelming when compared to the likes of the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R.

Also, current SmartWatch 2 users may find less reason to upgrade given the inevitable lower battery life on the Smartwatch 3. The SmartWatch 3 has a 420mA battery which Sony says is good for “up to 2 days normal use”, however the SW2 can last for days on standby.

In terms of hardware specs, the SmartWatch 3 has a 1.6-inch (320 x 320) transflective TFT LCD display, 1.2 GHz, quad-core A7 processor, 512MB RAM, Accelerometer, Compass and Gyro and charges via micro USB. The watch is also compatible with Sony’s Lifelog application, which is the heart of Sony’s SmartWear experience. It also includes voice, touch and gesture input.

The SmartWatch 3 will be available in Classic (Black) and Sport (Lime) editions, however the SmartWatch 3 Wrist Strap SWR510 will also be available after launch with Pink and White strap options.

SmartWatch 3 (SWR50) white paper