Sony's SmartWatch 2 - third time's a charm?

[Guest PaulOBrien]

Sony have announced the SmartWatch 2, actually their third foray into the smart watch market (more if you include their early Bluetooth watches)... and this time they think they're on to a winner.

Pitched as 'the world’s first water-resistant smartwatch with NFC connectivity', the SmartWatch 2 is very much an iteration of it's predecessor, tweaking and fixing where it really matters.

Coming complete with an IP57 rating for dust and water protection, the new watch features a bigger, brighter screen (1.6" @ 220x176), what Sony claims is the longest battery life available for a SmartWatch, easy setup via NFC, standalone watch functionality (a big omission on earlier versions!), a standard microUSB port for charging, an Android style UI, improved materials (aluminium body and stainless steel wristband), improved device compatibility and swappable, 24mm standard wristbands.

It appears as though the device is fully backward compatible with existing apps, with Sony touting a range of several hundred already available, including the ability to...

• Handle your calls by a simple touch of your wrist
  
• Take a photo remotely from your SmartWatch, using a smart camera app
  
• Control your presentations remotely using Presentation Pal
  
• Taking a run or on the bike? Select a mapping app on SmartWatch to check your route with a quick glance at your wrist
  
• Read previously downloaded e-mails when not connected to your phone
  
• Use lifestyle apps like Runtastic to map and instantly track your fitness activities on the go
  
• Quickly and easily adjust the tracks and volume on your music player, without ever taking your phone from your pocket

Pricing is TBC and the device will be available from September (so far away...). :(

I strongly suspect i'll be up for one of these! How about you?

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[Guest mwright]

I presume communications will be Bluetooth as well as NFC? We don't all have NFC enabled devices yet!

Other than that let's see if they have fixed the other niggles. I had the previous version for a few days but the display was useless outdoors.

[Guest absro]

After the first 2 fiascos, I doubt this one will be better, mainly because from the images I saw (if they're real) it STILL looks like a toddler toy. At least their BT watches were looking like a proper watch.

I'm still waiting for a REAL smartwatch, meaning a watch made of stainless steel and glass, with a round face. One that doesn't look like you strapped an iPod shuffle on your wrist.

I hope someone will manage to convince a real watch designer to work with them to design a smartwatch. I would even buy an Apple smartwatch, if it would look like a watch and you can connect it with Android :)

[Guest phil8715]

I would've liked them to use E-ink rather than the conventional oled colour screen you can't see in bright sunshine.

[Guest T39andcounting]

"Android style UI"? Does that mean it's actually running Android, which would be cool, or just made up to look like it, which would be lame!

[Guest mwright]

I bought one from Clove and it arrived yesterday.

Still getting it setup and getting to grips with it at the moment. There seems to be a connection issue between it and my Galaxy S2 when it goes out of range. Most of the time it fails to reconnect and using NFC to reconnect is a pain because I have to place the BACK of the watch in contact with the BACK of the phone before they will see each other.

Will keep playing for a couple of days before deciding if I am going to keep it.