With the likes of the Pebble Steel, the new Gear 2 line and more smartwatches hitting the market, it’s easy to forget about older competition. However, that’s not what Sony is doing, as there’s a big SmartWatch 2 update on its way that will bring even more functionality to the watch as well as some much-needed customization options. When we reviewed the SmartWatch 2, we found it to be a pretty competent smartwatch, and even today I happily wear mine day-in, day-out with little issue. of course, this is mostly down to excellent apps from third-party developers as some of Sony’s offerings can be a little limited. This latest update however will bring more info to watchfaces as well as some customization options.
Spotted on the show floor during Mobile World Congress last week by PocketPC, the new update appears to have the version number of 1.0.B.4.80 which is a sizable increase from the 1.0.B.3.46 build number running on my wrist. In the gallery below, you’ll see images of the SmartWatch 2 with different watchface options that show things such as step count, the last notification you received, the weather, a battery indicator and more. Included too, look to be a calculator, and the ability to change the devices’s wallpaper. For a regular wearer of the SmartWatch 2, I can say that being able to see the last notification received on my watchface would help me avoid arguments with the missus and frankly, I’m sick of seeing the same background all the time.
I’m not afraid to say it, I love the SmartWatch 2, but it certainly isn’t perfect. For the last few months I’ve been wearing mine, all I keep on thinking is what potential this little guy has, and thankfully Sony is realizing some of these wishes. The improved watchfaces are a nice touch and will hopefully come with some more designs as well. Sony’s software has a long way to go, but it’s catching up fast. Sony’s SmartWatch 2 is available from Amazon for around $160 right now, and unlike Samsung’s raft of Gear products, it works with any device running Android 4.0.3 or above – happy days!