We’re expecting Sony to announce its annual smartwatch release, presumably called the Sony SmartWatch 3, however while other manufacturers have scrambled to get out hardware that is running the new Android Wear operating system, there is a rumour that the Sony SmartWatch 3 may not have Android Wear at all, instead opting for it’s homebrewed Android system which will now be in its third iteration. That of course isn’t to say that Sony is shunning Android Wear or would not consider it for future device, it’s likely that Sony had already developed a follow-up and doesn’t want to change it for this year. It’s expected that Sony will announce the SmartWatch 3 at IFA 2014 next month.
That certainly puts the SmartWatch 3 at somewhat of a disadvantage, even if it is a purely superficial disadvantage, however it will be packing some neat functionality. Digi-wo is reporting that the Smartwatch 3 will have a transflective display (for more optimal viewing in sunlight), can be wirelessly charged, and may even have its own Wi-Fi module. What this may do to the battery life isn’t known, but the outgoing SmartWatch 2 had a battery life of 3-4 days, so that’s already better than most of the Android Wear devices. Of course, like most of Sony’s other devices, the SmartWatch 3 is also expected to be waterproof.
What do you think about Sony not adopting Android Wear for the SmartWatch 3? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: Digi-wo via Phone Arena
