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Sony tries to stay relevant in the wearables game with its new watch and fitness band
At today's conference in Berlin, Sony quickly announced two smart devices that happen to fit on your wrist. Both wearables are follow-ups to previous versions: The 229-euro SmartWatch 3, which is a plainly named Android Wear sequel, and the 159-euro SmartBand Talk, which takes last year's fitness band and adds an e-paper display, mics and speakers. Each device got some face time during Sony's presser, but they were overshadowed by the rest of the company's mobile lineup, so I spent a little extra time with them both after the show.
Sony outfits the SmartBand Talk with an e-paper screen and voice calling
When does a fitness band become a smartwatch? We'd argue that an e-paper display is one feature you can use to make that distinction, which is exactly what Sony's added to its "lifelogging" SmartBand. A display isn't the only thing new about the SmartBand Talk, because as the name suggests, you can also make/take calls on the wearable thanks to an embedded microphone and loudspeaker. You can only do this when paired with a smartphone, of course, which will also respond to a limited number of other voice commands barked through the wearable. There's an ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit processor to power the whole thing, with 2MB of flash memory and that 1.4-inch black-and-white display to keep you updated on progress. As you might expect, a Core is at work here as well, with edge-mounted volume and menu buttons to round out the onboard controls. And yes, you can swap out the band as the need arises. The IP68 waterproof and dustproof wearable connects to any Android 4.4 (and above) device via NFC and Bluetooth to wrangle tasks for up to three days before needing a charge. If you're looking to get a bit more active, €160 (around $210) will be the cost of admission when the SmartBand Talk arrives this fall in four different color options.
