Sony SmartWatch 3 Review

Ok, I’ll admit it; I don’t have the most organised handbag in the world. But it’s a habit that’s not going to change any time soon, so anything that helps put things back in order and streamlines my busy life is a winner.

The crux of the problem of a messy handbag is I’m in constant need of my phone throughout the day. This means that every time I get a notification, I find myself rummaging through millions of vaguely familiar ‘things’ and wasting time before being able to see that either my meeting has been cancelled or that my son needs a lift home from sport.

But recently I’ve been using Sony’s SmartWatch 3, so now when I get a notification, all I have to do is look at my wrist, as the update gets sent through via Bluetooth when paired with my enabled and compatible smartphone. What’s even more convenient for me is that because it’s running on Android Wear I can use Google’s voice command software to tell my son I have a meeting (but sadly not tell my meeting I have a son) by just speaking to my watch.

For me this type of technology, when you get the gist of it, is a marvelous tool and even if you are not an early adopter or tech savvy the benefits of the new array of wearable gadgets such as Sony’s new smart watch are truly life enhancing.

In terms of the watch’s design, I really like the sporty style and the sleek silicon watchband. Not only is it useful, but it can double as a fashion accessory too.

While I mostly use it while it’s connected to my phone, it has a lot of stand-alone features that are particularly beneficial for active sport and music lovers.

Firstly, it has an attached GPS, so it tracks how far you travel on any particular day. Secondly, it’s a pedometer that also tracks your steps. And thirdly, you can play your music offline through enabled and compatible Bluetooth headphones, so you can listen while you run (and of course while you’re not running too!). You can then analyse this data with the Wear Fitness Personal Trainer app, which is one of the many apps you can download for your Android Wear device.

Also, I found that it works like most other watches; with timers and alarms, and the voice commands were really easy for me to use, as opposed to some of the incredibly fiddly digital watches I’ve tried in the past. I can set a reminder or an alarm by just speaking to the watch, plus it can also do things normal digital watches can’t, such as do quick searches, send emails and take notes throughout the day.

I also loved being able to customise the watch face; instead of having to go to a store and buy a brand new watch in order to make the process of checking the time more interesting, I could just go into the settings and select a new display. And as much as I like any opportunity to shop, I have to admit it’s a lot cheaper this way!

Overall, I love my new smartwatch. I prefer texting and emailing by voice than thumb, and I love being able to listen to music via the watch when I go for long walks. It’s also definitely preferable to receive notifications by checking my wrist than by delving into my handbag.

Please note: I have been provided a Sony SmartWatch 3 by Telstra free of charge to review. The comments expressed by me reflect my own user experience and personal opinion and are not made on behalf of Telstra.