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Cape Town - South Africans love technology and Sony is hoping that some of that love will extend to smart wearable technology.
Irrespective how you feel about wearables, they are here to stay and beyond the debate between sleek or geek, price has emerged as a deciding factor.
The second version of the Sony smart watch is an evolution of the first generation, but still feels like a solution looking for a problem.
The device synchs with your mobile device and, taking a different route from other manufacturers, the watch works with any Android smartphone.
So what does it do? Well, it tells the time - it is a watch after all.
Functionality
But it's more than that. The watch also has apps which can notify you about messages, e-mails and social media interactions, as well as expected functionalities like a stopwatch and timer.
The device differentiates itself from the Samsung Galaxy Gear in that it links to any Android device, and despite being connected via Bluetooth, it ran three days on one charge though, perhaps a lack of functionality played a role in that battery performance.
A neat trick it that the watch uses an e-ink display in standby mode so that you always see the time, without any drama.
So what about apps? First, there is the Sony smart watch app that allows the device to communicate with your phone.
The Sony Smart watch works with Sony smartphones via an NFC connection. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)
Once that's done, your watch will display notifications and alerts. Beyond that, online applications promise much of the same as well as measuring walking distance, Facebook interactions, music control, as well as notes and reminders.
But despite being cheaper than the Samsung offering, the Sony smart watch may not have it all its own way.
It faces competition from the Xtouch smart watch available from CNA, and, perhaps as a testament to popularity based on price, a number of CNA stores were sold out of their stock of the Xtouch which retails at R949.
Growth
There are also smart watch offers from TomTom that include GPS tracking for athletes at competing price points.
The Sony smart watch does stretch the game for wearable technology, and the fact that it is available on the Orange online store at R1 805 makes a compelling case.
But even the lower price may still put people off as the debate rages as to the user case for the technology. High growth is expected from the sector as smartphone technology reaches a plateau.
Deloitte's Global TMT Predictions says that 2014 will see a surge in wearable technology to 10 million units, generating revenue of $3bn.
Orange also sells the Sony Smartband for R954 and the Xperia Z2 for R8 835. That may be more attractive than the smart watch.
- Follow Duncan on Twitter
Irrespective how you feel about wearables, they are here to stay and beyond the debate between sleek or geek, price has emerged as a deciding factor.
The second version of the Sony smart watch is an evolution of the first generation, but still feels like a solution looking for a problem.
The device synchs with your mobile device and, taking a different route from other manufacturers, the watch works with any Android smartphone.
So what does it do? Well, it tells the time - it is a watch after all.
Functionality
But it's more than that. The watch also has apps which can notify you about messages, e-mails and social media interactions, as well as expected functionalities like a stopwatch and timer.
The device differentiates itself from the Samsung Galaxy Gear in that it links to any Android device, and despite being connected via Bluetooth, it ran three days on one charge though, perhaps a lack of functionality played a role in that battery performance.
A neat trick it that the watch uses an e-ink display in standby mode so that you always see the time, without any drama.
So what about apps? First, there is the Sony smart watch app that allows the device to communicate with your phone.
The Sony Smart watch works with Sony smartphones via an NFC connection. (Duncan Alfreds, Fin24)
Once that's done, your watch will display notifications and alerts. Beyond that, online applications promise much of the same as well as measuring walking distance, Facebook interactions, music control, as well as notes and reminders.
But despite being cheaper than the Samsung offering, the Sony smart watch may not have it all its own way.
It faces competition from the Xtouch smart watch available from CNA, and, perhaps as a testament to popularity based on price, a number of CNA stores were sold out of their stock of the Xtouch which retails at R949.
Growth
There are also smart watch offers from TomTom that include GPS tracking for athletes at competing price points.
The Sony smart watch does stretch the game for wearable technology, and the fact that it is available on the Orange online store at R1 805 makes a compelling case.
But even the lower price may still put people off as the debate rages as to the user case for the technology. High growth is expected from the sector as smartphone technology reaches a plateau.
Deloitte's Global TMT Predictions says that 2014 will see a surge in wearable technology to 10 million units, generating revenue of $3bn.
Orange also sells the Sony Smartband for R954 and the Xperia Z2 for R8 835. That may be more attractive than the smart watch.
- Follow Duncan on Twitter
