This morning it was reported the Sony SmartWatch 3 was finally available to pre-order through Verizon Wireless. One of the big selling features of the Sony SmartWatch 3 is that it is the first Android Wear device to come with a built in GPS sensor. As you can imagine this simply means the SmartWatch 3 can be used for GPS services as a standalone product which will be beneficial to many of the adventurous and sporty types out there. As the device was officially launched today, Google took the opportunity to firstly announce what the inclusion of a standalone GPS sensor means for the users and secondly a big update to accommodate the new GPS features.
In short, Google announced that today’s update comes with GPS support. This will allows users to utilize many of the features you expect from the SmartWatch 3 but conveniently without the need for a smartphone to be nearby. The example given by Google is the joggers out there. Now when you go out for your daily run (and if you own a SmartWatch 3) then you no longer need to bring your smartphone with you. Instead, the SmartWatch 3 will be able to offer route, directions, running distance and running speed information while your phone sits at home piling on the calories. If you want to give this service a try then Google suggests checking out the My Tracks app which will take care of all your GPS needs. However, todays update does not end there. No, besides the GPS support the new update also comes with support for audio Bluetooth accessories. Everyone knows the other essential jogging accessory needed is music. And now today’s update will allow owners of (all) smartwatches to sync their music to their watch for offline play.
Furthermore, if you own Bluetooth headphones then you will be able to stream the music directly to your headphones from the watch. Again this will allow joggers to hit the road without their phone. Of course, you will need to have the Google Play Music app installed on your smartwatch but other than that you are good to go. So there you go. If you are a jogger, ordering a SmartWatch 3 and own Bluetooth headphones then today is a very good day for you. You can take the streets, leave your phone at home and still listen to music and know where you are going. For those who don’t own a smartwatch or don’t go jogging…erm…well, not much to tell you about to be honest.