Sony SmartWatch 2

Sony gets closer to the smartwatch ideal with its second-iteration wearable smartphone companion. But bugs and other limitations make the SmartWatch 2 a product that's unlikely to appeal to the masses.

Interface

The home screen consists of up to six icons; five are loaded by default, for the alarm, flashlight, an event list, Settings, and a timer.

Apps on the Go

The SmartWatch 2 lets you check text messages, calendar events, Gmail messages, and Facebook and Twitter notifications, among other things.

Active

The watch is dust- and freshwater-resistant (IP57) up to three meters for up to 30 minutes.

Colored Bands

The SmartWatch 2 features an industry-standard 24mm-wide pin strap mount and black band. That means you can actually swap it out, not just for the four other color bands Sony is selling, but for any other band that fits this size watch.

Watch Face

You can customize the watch face itself, albeit not as much as you can with the Galaxy Gear. There are just five pre-loaded, none are particularly exciting, and I could only find one additional custom face available for download.

Custom App Platform

The SmartWatch 2 works with over 160 apps that are optimized for the SmartWatch 2's higher-resolution display, plus over 200 apps that carry over from the first SmartWatch but don't display in full-screen mode.

Metal Band

The 1.6-inch transflective, touch-screen LCD works both with and without the backlight activated, meaning that you can tell the time or check notifications at a glance with powering up the display.