It should not come as a big surprise to anyone that Sony has entered the Smartwatch market with their recent take on the smartwatch product, the Sony SmartWatch 3 (how creative). The SmartWatch 3 is newer to the scene, having launched late last year in November of 2014. The Apple Watch is a newer SmartWatch, having launched earlier this summer in late June to early July. The Sony Smartwatch 3 is an Android-powered device created by Sony, while the Apple Watch is an iOS-exclusive made by Apple. Both devices are similar-looking, small rectangles reminiscent of old touchscreen iPod Nanos. The Sony SmartWatch 3 can actually be removed and slid right into a “holster”, creating a whole, sleek look, while the Apple Watch has tiny holders on the top and bottom of the screen which the band can be attached to (and changed out, if the user wishes for greater customization.)
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Sony SmartWatch 3 vs Apple Watch Comparison
The Sony SmartWatch 3 is an Android Wear-powered device, and the Apple Watch is powered by Apple’s Watch OS. This immediately is a limiting factor, as users with Android devices will have no choice but to pick a SmartWatch 3 (or any other Android Wear-powered device), while iPhone or iOS users have to use the Apple Watch. As it stands right now, there is no cross-platform support, but Google is actively working on a solution to make Android Wear devices compatible with i-devices. Android Wear is an OS that is powered by Google Now cards, which pushes notifications from a user’s phone to another screen (in this case, the smartwatch) and allows them to check on certain information set by an application prior to use. Apple Watch uses a more intuitive interface using a series of swiping gestures, and has more of a learning curve in its use.
Is the Apple Watch Better than the Sony SmartWatch 3?
The Apple Watch is a rectangular-shaped smartwatch, while the Sony SmartWatch 3 is a circular SmartWatch, most like the Moto 360. The Apple Watch used a Sapphire display (and a more fancy, Apple-patented display for the 42mm version), while the Sony SmartWatch uses an e-paper screen. E-paper is a low-power, low-resolution solution for screens, and since it’s so low power it can run for days on end on a single battery charge. The Apple Watch has a much brighter and crisper looking display, but the bezel is more narrow than the Sony SmartWatch’s. The SmartWatch is equipped with the usual 1.2 gHZ processor (but is actually quad core, instead of the market standard dual core), and has 512 MB of RAM. The Apple Watch is less powerful, but is more appropriate to the specs that iOS and its variants typically require. The Apple Watch is equipped with WiFi and Apple Pay, while the Sony SmartWatch 3 piggybacks off of a user’s cell phone and is only equipped with NFC (near field communication, which Apple Pay uses – so it’s possible that Android devices will support Apple Pay soon.)
Sony SmartWatch 3 or Apple Watch – Which Should I Buy?
The Apple Watch is still a bit pricy, with a black classic buckle 38mm screen version running around $150 and a Sony SmartWatch 3 starting at around $140. Like it was mentioned earlier, if you are an Android user, you’re limited to any other device besides the Apple Watch, while the Apple Watch is the biggest out of the few devices that support connection with iPhones and iOS devices. The Apple Watch is generally a pricier investment, though, while the Sony SmartWatch 3 can be found for cheap and includes a variety of accessories, including a steel band for only around $50 or $60. The Apple Watch is available in 2 models, one with a 38mm screen and the other with a larger 42mm screen, while the Sony SmartWatch 3 is only available in one model.
Apple Watch Discount: You can click here to get the Apple Watch with all available discounts automatically applied.
Sony Smart Watch Discount: You can click here to get the Sony Smart Watch with all available discounts automatically applied.
How is the Smartwatch 3 circular?
I feel like the person who wrote this review knew nothing about either device….
They didn’t even look at the Sony watch.