I have been enjoying my experience using my Sony Xperia Z3 tremendously. It is a great smartphone and I have integrated the Z3 into all aspects of my life (as my business and personal phone). You can read my previous tips on using it here. I was thrilled to also be able to test out Sony’s SmartWatch 3. Wearable technology is becoming increasingly more popular and important as we look to facilitate our lives.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 was easy to integrate into my mobile lifestyle.
Pros: It has a handy built in GPS tracker, an accelerometer, compass and gyroscope, Wi-Fi, and it is completely waterproof. It also runs Android Wear seamlessly and will stay connected to my Z3 even if I am 10 meters away. I had a lot of fun trying out different watch faces and changing the look and feel of it every day.
Cons: I only have one con. I would like to see the battery life last longer. I did use the watch heavily every day so perhaps with an adjustment in my usage I would be able to get a longer battery life out of it. I used it at night for monitoring my sleep so I found that I had to charge it in the morning while getting ready to start my day and in the evening just before going to bed. That is not a deal breaker for me.
Despite all the pros and the one con, I did discover the following 5 things that the Sony SmartWatch 3 cannot do (and other cool things that it can do.)
1) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Drive Your Smart Car (Or Any Other Car)
Sadly I still need to drive my car myself. But you can speak to your SmartWatch 3 to get turn-by-turn directions to a given destination. You can also find nearby places or businesses and get relevant information about them. I also like the traffic updates that it provides in the morning before work and later on in the day for my drive home. Here are the instructions for using Navigation on the Sony SmartWatch 3:
To navigate using your SmartWatch 3
- Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3.
- Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens.
- Say “Navigate” and then say your destination. Alternatively, say something like “Navigate to the nearest hotel”. If your command is registered properly, the route appears on your SmartWatch 3.
- On the navigation screen, swipe from right to left to view route information such as time and distance to the location.
To find a place or business
- Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3.
- Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens
- Say something like “Find the Eiffel Tower”, “Where is the closest supermarket?” or “How far is Starbucks from my home?”. If your request is recognized, the relevant information appears on the SmartWatch 3.
2) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Do Dirty Dishes
I have this problem with my husband and daughter too. Hmmmm. While I hope to still be able to influence my family and change their behavior, I can use the SmartWatch 3 to order take out and use the voice commands to call the restaurant with my Xperia Z3. The SmartWatch 3 acts as a remote control with the Z3, which can be used when receiving or making phone calls. It can also be used to control the camera to snap pictures.
Here is how you can use the SmartWatch 3 to Handle Incoming Calls:
To answer an incoming call
1. To accept the incoming call, swipe from right to left on the screen of your SmartWatch 3.
2. Use a phone, tablet or Bluetooth® headset to speak with the caller.
To decline an incoming call
• Swipe from left to right on the screen of your SmartWatch 3.
To reject an incoming call with a predefined message
• Swipe upwards from the bottom of the screen of your SmartWatch 3, then select a message.
3) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Take My Dog Out For Walks
Nor does it scoop up after him. I can use the built in GPS without lugging around a phone to track distance. This is a great feature for runners and cyclists too. With the offline GPS capability all you need is good app. Here are two apps that you may want to try and that have good ratings:
Features:
• Offline GPS support that defaults to your watch’s GPS signal.
• Shows you your GPS strength prior to the start of your run or ride.
• Easy to read and customizable screen data (see the data that is most important to you, including average pace, current pace, time, distance, etc).
• Ghostracer Google Plus Community
Runkeeper works better online than offline and features:
• Find and follow pre-planned routes and map your run or walk on the go.
• Follow training plan workouts or create your own with audio coaching.
• Get audio updates while you work out about your total mileage, calorie count, pace, speed, mileage.
• Run while listening to music – RunKeeper automatically integrates with your phone’s music app.
• Get coached with 10k, Half Marathon and Full Marathon training plans for more advanced runners
4) The Sony SmartWatch 3 Won’t Keep You Dry In The Rain
It does not function well as an umbrella. The good news is that the SmartWatch 3 is not only water resistant but it is completely waterproof. The SW3 has an IP68 rating which means you can go swimming with it on for up to 1/2 hour to a depth of 1.5 meters in fresh water. If you use it in a chlorinated pool it is recommended that you rinse it off with fresh water afterwards.
You can also check up to date weather forecasts right on your watch so if it is going to rain you can grab your umbrella before you head out.
5) The SmartWatch 3 Won’t Help Your Boss With His Boring Presentations or Meetings
I loved using the SmartWatch 3 at work. It is much more discrete to use in meetings to check for notifications and emails, than to be constantly on your smartphone. You can read and reply to emails directly on your SmartWatch 3. Each email is represented by a corresponding card on the screen of the watch. You can also speak into your SmartWatch 3 to send email messages to saved contacts. That is a great feature as well. I do find that you do need to speak clearly and enunciate your words properly or you may send some pretty interesting emails.
To send an email message using voice commands:
1. Make sure that the home screen is active on your SmartWatch 3.
2. Say “OK Google”. If the command is recognized, the “Speak now” screen opens.
3. Say “Email” and the name of a contact that is saved to your phone or tablet, then say the text that you want to send.
4. Alternatively, you can say something like “Email Jack that I will be there tomorrow”. In both cases, the message gets sent automatically.
To reply to an email message:
1. Select the card that represents the email message that you want to reply to.
2. Swipe from right to left until you see Reply, then tap Reply.
3. Swipe upwards and select a predefined message, or enter a spoken reply by saying your message aloud. Once you’re finished, the message gets sent automatically.
While the Sony SmartWatch 3 won’t make you a super hero, it does help make your life easier and more versatile. It is a great smart watch for people with an active lifestyle and for work as well. It is comfortable to wear and seems like it was built to last. It is fun to use and I received many positive comments and inquiries when people say me using it.
Learn more about the Sony SmartWatch 3 on their site.
I received a SmartWatch 3 from Sony for review purposes. Good or bad, my reviews and opinions are honest with my readers best interest in mind.
Photo credits: Sony and Pixabay
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I just bought one and currently setting it up for first use. I’m now very excited to see how my life will change with this watch after reading your article! 🙂