Sony has announced a follow up to its SmartWatch in the form of the SmartWatch 2 which the company is billing as a perfect second screen for your smartphone.
You can do all the usual things you’d expect of a smart watch, such as making and receiving phone calls, looking at maps and navigate, checking emails, and using apps to track exercise and other fitness activities. Its introduction follows rumors of a similar product from Apple (which has yet to materialize) and an interest in wearable technology thanks to things like Google Glass.
“Competitors are only now launching first generation devices, while we are already launching a 3rd generation device with all the insight gained from over half a million customers combined with Sony’s wealth of technology expertise to create the best ever smartwatch experience,” Stefan K Persson, Head of Companion Products at Sony Mobile Communications, said.
Naturally, it can also be used for your social media needs too or as a remote control for your Walkman media player found on Sony smartphones.
It also includes near-field communication (NFC) capabilities too, allowing users to pair the watch with a phone or tablet with the minimum of fuss. It also means it can pair with things like wireless headsets and portable speakers too for playing back music over a proper sound system.
The company said it had also bumped up the design and specs of the previous generation to provide “better visibility in sunlight” and better battery life. The screen is a 1.6 inch, 220 x 176 pixels affair and it’s also water resistant. It should be pointed out that while it has an “Android-like UI” and has been made to run some of the apps, it’s not actually a full build of Android.
Oh, it can also be used as a watch too and can be fitted to any standard 24mm wristband.
While I’m sure Sony is hoping you use it alongside one of its new range-topping smartphones like the Xperia Z or Xperia Z Ultra, fear not if your Android phone is of a different brand as it should work just fine with the SmartWatch 2.
While pricing isn’t yet known, you can expect the SmartWatch 2 to go on sale around September.
Image Credit – Getty Images
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