Sony had a few wearables up its sleeve for IFA 2014. The company introduced its third smartwatch and a standalone device called the SmartBand Talk.
Here’s everything we know about both wearables:
SmartWatch 3
Sony started making smartwatches before it was cool, but now it’s jumping on the Android Wear bandwagon with the SmartWatch 3. The SmartWatch 3 features a 1.6-inch LCD screen with a 320 x 320 pixel resolution.
Related: Sony SmartWatch 2 review
Sony’s third smartwatch is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core ARM A7 processor along with 512MB of RAM. The wearable has a slew of sensors onboard, including ambient light sensor, accelerometer, vibration for alerts, compass, gyro, and GPS. It comes with 4GB of storage, so you’ll have some room for Android Wear apps.
The SmartWatch 3 has an IP68 dust and waterproof rating, meaning that you won’t have to worry if you get caught up in a rain or dust storm. Sony also added NFC and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 420mAh battery, which it says can last up to two days.
The smartwatch also comes with a microphone for voice commands. If you pair the watch with a Bluetooth headset, you can even leave your phone behind and just use the SmartWatch 3 on its own — one of Android Wear’s new capabilities.
The SmartWatch 3 is encased in steel and comes with a rubber silicon band. The band is available in “apple green,” pink, and black color options. Sony says the classic and sport version of the watch will cost 230 euros (about $300), but the bands cost 25 euros ($33) extra if you want pink or white.
SmartBand Talk
Sony’s SmartBand Talk may look like a fitness tracker, but it has a whole lot of smartwatch functionality built in. The thin band has a curved E Ink screen that measures 1.4-inches across. The black and white display has a resolution of 288 x 128 pixels and is meant to conserve power. Devices using E Ink can often attain weeks or months of battery life.
The SmartBand Talk can make calls and respond to voice commands. It has an auto sleep detection feature that turns off notifications when you fall asleep at night, so that you won’t be disturbed by anything except your alarm. The SmartBand features activity tracking, thanks to the accelerometer and altimeter sensors. The band has a speaker, microphone, and HD Voice support.
Just like the SmartWatch 3, the SmartBand Talk is IP68 water and dust proof, so it’s safe to wear in the rain or in dusty conditions. The band can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth and also has NFC connectivity onboard.
Sony added 2MB of flash memory and a 70mAh battery, which should last up to three days of regular use. However, if you talk on it for one hour, you’ll be completely out of battery power.
Sony says that the SmartBand Talk will cost 160 euros ($210). The bands come in black, white, red, blue, lime, and pink color options. Any extra bands will cost you 25 euros more.
