Sony SmartWatch 2 officially announced – smart enough?

June 25, 2013

Sony has now officially announced its new SmartWatch. The SmartWatch 2 is definitely more than just a small update. Still, we ask ourselves whether the intelligent wristwatch is really “smart” enough to hold its own in the market.

One thing is certain: Sony’s SmartWatch 2 remains a second display for the smartphone. The gadget is only useful to a limited extent on its own and, contrary to all hopes, does not have an independently working Android operating system – even if it looks like it at first glance. However, the user interface of the SmartWatch 2 is only based on the Android user interface.

After all: Without a connection to a smartphone or tablet, you can at least read the emails and notifications previously downloaded to the SmartWatch – the SmartWatch 2 already offers a little more independence than its predecessor.

However, the question arises whether a SmartWatch that does not work independently to a greater extent still has a chance in this market. There are now many intelligent watches, some of which can also be used completely without a smart health connected smartphone or tablet – for example the GEAK Watch.

However, we see a chance that the SmartWatch 2 can still be expanded in this regard. Sony speaks of “standalone capability” in the official press release, which may only refer to the e-mails and notifications mentioned. However, this may also mean that developers, for example, can equip their SmartWatch apps with offline functionality. This would make it possible in future to use the SmartWatch 2 in other areas without a smart health connected Android device.

Even if the SmartWatch 2 does not offer the independence we had hoped for on a larger scale – a lot has changed compared to its predecessor. According to Sony, the criticism of the mediocre display brightness in particular has been eliminated. The SmartWatch 2 can even be used in direct sunlight. But in future you will no longer need a proprietary cable to charge the intelligent wristwatch, just a micro-USB cable.

On the technical side, the SmartWatch 2 offers a 1.6-inch display that has a resolution of 220 × 176 pixels. Contact with a smartphone or tablet can be established via Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC, but Android 4.0 is a prerequisite. Thanks to IP57 certification, the new SmartWatch is protected against dust and water to a certain extent. The SmartWatch 2 is due to hit the market worldwide in September; the recommended retail price is 199 euros.

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