As far as smartwatches go, the SmartBand Talk SWR30, succeeds in making life easier. Sony has once again outdone themselves and definitely has made a mark on the smartwatch industry.
With a ‘paper-base’ display like the Kindle, the SmartBand Talk also uses touchscreen functions for certain apps along with volume control buttons at the side. And similar to the Sony Xperia Z3, it’s waterproof and can be underwater for about 30 minutes.
Related: Sony Xperia Z3 – Drowning the Competition
The SmartBand Talk SWR30 feels like a typical fitness band with its lightweight body and secure grip on your wrist, its design lending a sporty look to its wearers. This works to its advantage as some of its useful features include the pedometer and Lifelog.
The pedometer records the statistics of your walking/jogging/running sessions, letting you know things like your step-count and duration, while the Lifelog allows users to log vocally on to the watch and playback the audio files on their phone, much like the Dictaphone.
The greatest feature of the SWR30, however, is that it allows you to receive all notifications. This includes allowing you to read texts on it instead of whipping out your phone, making it very convenient when your phone isn’t on you.
Also, once you install the SmartBand Talk app into your phone and pair it with the phone via Bluetooth, you can edit the functions of your watch. This means adding or removing features by simply dragging and dropping the compatible apps into (or out of) the SWR30’s folder.
One of the most useful features (from personal experience) is the Find Phone app which initiates music from your phone when activated. There is also an app that allows you to control your phone’s music player.
However, the SmartBand Talk does have its downsides. For instance the screen isn’t very scratch-proof and within a few days of use there was already an obvious scratch on it—not a comforting trait given its supposedly sporty functions. The watch also does not have a very sensitive touch reception and requires a very firm tap for it to respond. Lastly, needing to charge it every 2-3 days can be rather tiresome for some.
Overall, the pros of this smart watch definitely outweigh the cons and I can safely say Sony’s SmartBand Talk SWR30 has made my life so much easier as I’m one to always leave my phone lying around or miss calls because my phone is on silent. It also comes in black and white with customisable straps of different colours.