Sony SmartWatch

The original "MN2" Sony SmartWatch from 2012

The Sony SmartWatch is a line of wearable devices developed and marketed by Sony Mobile from 2012 to 2016 through three generations. They connect to Android smartphones and can display information such as Twitter feeds and SMS messages, among other things.

Original

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The original Sony SmartWatch, model MN2SW, came with a flexible silicone wristband with multiple colors available. It was introduced at CES 2012 and launched later in March 2012.[1]

Sony SmartWatch 2

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The Sony SmartWatch 2, model SW2, was launched in late September 2013. The SW2 supported working together with any Android 4.0 (and higher) smartphone, unlike Samsung's competing Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which only worked with some of Samsung's own Galaxy handsets. The watch featured an aluminum body and came with the option of a silicone or metal wristband, but could be used with any 24mm wristband. It was 1.65 inches tall by 1.61 inches wide by 0.35 inch thick, weighed 0.8 ounces and sported a transflective LCD screen with a 220x176 resolution. The SW2 connected to the smartphone using Bluetooth, and supported NFC for easy pairing. It was rated IP57 so it could be submersed in water up to a meter for 30 minutes and was dust resistant.[2][3]

Sony SmartWatch 3

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SmartWatch 3

At IFA 2014 the company announced the Sony Smartwatch 3.[4][5] Its processor switched from previous generations' ARM Cortex-M MCU[6] to an ARM Cortex-A CPU.[7]

As noted by ABI Research, "The SmartWatch 3 has many new features such as waterproof (IP68 rated, not just resistant), improved styling, transition to Android Wear, and introduction of a new wearable platform from Broadcom. ... [It's] based on the Broadcom system-on-chip (SoC) platform which includes a 1.2GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor (BCM23550), an improved GPS and ambient light sensor processing SoC (BCM47531) capable of simultaneously tracking five satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, SBAS, and BeiDou), the now popular Wi-Fi 802.11n/BT/NFC/FM quad-combo connectivity chip (BCM43341), and a highly integrated power management IC (BCM59054)."[8]

Several apps are capable of using the Smartwatch 3's GPS, including:

  • Google MyTracks (since 2014, December)
  • RunKeeper (since 2014, December)
  • Endomondo (since 2015, March)
  • iFit
  • Ghostracer (can upload to Strava)
  • Strava (Beta)
  • Rambler

The watch is also capable of tracking swimming with swim.com and golf swings with vimoGolf.

The Sony SmartWatch 3 will not be upgraded to version 2.0 of Android Wear.[9]

Model comparison

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Product Launch Date CPU Connectivity Display OS Memory Battery Capacity Dimensions Weight
Sony SmartWatch (MN2) March 2012 Bluetooth v3.0[10][verification needed] 1.3” OLED display

128 x 128 pixels

65k (16 bits) color[10]

Micrium uC/OS-II 472 mAh (46mm)

270 mAh (42mm)

36 mm (1.4 in) H

36 mm (1.4 in) W

8 mm (0.31 in) D

12.8 mm (0.50 in) D (includes clip)

15.5 g (0.55 oz) main unit

26 g (0.92 oz) watchband [11]

Sony SmartWatch (SW2) September 2013 1.2 GHz Quad-core ARM A7[12] Bluetooth v3.0, NFC[12][verification needed] 1.6", 220x176[12] Android Wear 4GB (2 and 3) 340 mAh 42 x 9 x 41 mm [13] 122.5 g (4.32 oz) total
Sony SmartWatch 3 (SWR50) November 2014 Broadcom 1.2 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex A7 processor Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, Wi-Fi Android Wear eMMC 4 GB, 512MB RAM 247 mAh (30mm)

361 mAh (34mm)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sony SmartWatch launches in US for $149.99 The Verge. April 12, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  2. ^ Samuel Gibbs (October 17, 2013). "Sony Smartwatch 2 review: a second screen for your Android phone". The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  3. ^ Jerry Hildenbrand (October 20, 2013). "Yes, the Sony SmartWatch 2 is IP57 water and dust resistant". Android Central. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  4. ^ "Sony embraces Android Wear in the SmartWatch 3, and we tried it out". Digital Trends. September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  5. ^ "Hands-on with the Sony SmartWatch 3". Gizmag. September 6, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  6. ^ "低功耗與感測技術為穿戴電子技術核心". Archived from the original on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  7. ^ Kumar, Anurag (6 September 2014). "Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50 launched with 1.2 GHz quad core processor". Gizmobolt. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  8. ^ Gallen, Christine (14 February 2016). "Broadcom Scores Quad Win with Quad-Core Processor in Latest Smartwatch from Sony, According to ABI Research". Business Wire. ABI Research. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Android Wear 2.0 is leaving behind one of the most beloved smartwatches". TechRadar. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  10. ^ a b "Mobile Phones | Sony US". Archived from the original on 2016-02-19.
  11. ^ "Smartwatch specifications". Pawar. Archived from the original on 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  12. ^ a b c "Mobile Phones | Sony US".
  13. ^ "Mobile Phones | Sony US".
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