Has anyone bought the "updated" smart watch? If so, what are your thoughts on it? I might buy one from Expansys USA.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA
Sony SmartWatch Impressions?
- Thread starter pspunderground
- Start date
Early reviews online and on amazon are pretty positive. I purchased and returned the liveview due to connection issues. These seem to be a non-issue on the updated smartwatch. I ordered through expansys and will hopefully be receiving the unit this week. I can reply with my personal opinions.
I hope the xda devs pick this device up and come up with some great apps. One obvious one would be a timer/stopwatch app.
I hope the xda devs pick this device up and come up with some great apps. One obvious one would be a timer/stopwatch app.
I just got it today, so my impressions are sort of limited to my limited use of it today...
I'd say overall impressions are "So far so good". Definitely feel this is a worthwhile device that will only improve with time.
Pros:
1. Much smaller than the MotoACTV and actually feels/looks like a normal wrist watch on your hand.
2. A much needed accelerometer screen activation was added I believe in the latest update (it doesn't mention this feature in the manual nor in any review I have seen). Basically all you do when the screen is off is tap the device anywhere twice really quick. I've noticed sometimes if you tap it too slow or not hard enough and then do it the right way immediately afterwards, that it won't register the correct way and you have to wait like 5 seconds to try again. Not that big of a deal.
3. Screen looks pretty good. A little pixelated due to the low resolution but text is still readable.
4. So far no problems losing sync with the phone.
Cons:
1. Smartwatch app notification icon ALWAYS stays on in the notification bar of your phone when the watch is connected. Needs to be an option to disable this.
2. The touch screen malfunctions with at least one default Sony app that I've seen so far: the Phonebook (Contacts) app. I think this must be something with how Sony designed the app, as other apps I've downloaded function perfectly normal with all the gestures (multitouch, swiping, taps). IT'S HORRIBLE. Can't swipe between screens at all with this. Actually accidentally texted someone on the first screen of contacts the default "Call me" message as I was swiping to the second screen of contacts. The text went through though, so I guess that's a plus because the person called me immediately lol.
3. The charging cable and the way it just fits in the clip to stay connected is probably the worst charging design I have ever seen... should have just used micro-usb... If you aren't careful when setting the watch down while it's plugged in, you could accidentally put an angle on the cable which will ensure that it doesn't make contact with the charging leads.
4. No default email app yet. Only one that exists is for Sony phones
5. Music player could be improved a bit. No control over albums/folders (at least with the Google Play Music app). Very generic play/pause, volume, and next/previous track options. Doesn't show album art with Play Music on ICS (really? This is the default app that probably the majority of Android users use!!).
6. Sometimes if the phone is busy doing other things, you will notice on the watch that the icons take a while to show up (generic icons are shown instead of the specific application ones), which basically is exposing the fact that the apps aren't stored on the Smartwatch itself... which means that if your phones processor is bogged down, so will app responsiveness on the watch itself.
7. No voice search app or widget! Whether we have the phone sitting in our car in speaker phone mode, or have a blue tooth headset on, we need a dedicated voice search activation button widget! I am planning on sitting down one day to make one. This will be especially handy once we have the Google Assistant app (Siri competitor), not to mention how useful this would be to initiate calls to people while driving instead of using the HORRIBLE touch screen contacts app.
8. No microphone in the hardware! This sort of goes with #7 above.
I'd say overall impressions are "So far so good". Definitely feel this is a worthwhile device that will only improve with time.
Pros:
1. Much smaller than the MotoACTV and actually feels/looks like a normal wrist watch on your hand.
2. A much needed accelerometer screen activation was added I believe in the latest update (it doesn't mention this feature in the manual nor in any review I have seen). Basically all you do when the screen is off is tap the device anywhere twice really quick. I've noticed sometimes if you tap it too slow or not hard enough and then do it the right way immediately afterwards, that it won't register the correct way and you have to wait like 5 seconds to try again. Not that big of a deal.
3. Screen looks pretty good. A little pixelated due to the low resolution but text is still readable.
4. So far no problems losing sync with the phone.
Cons:
1. Smartwatch app notification icon ALWAYS stays on in the notification bar of your phone when the watch is connected. Needs to be an option to disable this.
2. The touch screen malfunctions with at least one default Sony app that I've seen so far: the Phonebook (Contacts) app. I think this must be something with how Sony designed the app, as other apps I've downloaded function perfectly normal with all the gestures (multitouch, swiping, taps). IT'S HORRIBLE. Can't swipe between screens at all with this. Actually accidentally texted someone on the first screen of contacts the default "Call me" message as I was swiping to the second screen of contacts. The text went through though, so I guess that's a plus because the person called me immediately lol.
3. The charging cable and the way it just fits in the clip to stay connected is probably the worst charging design I have ever seen... should have just used micro-usb... If you aren't careful when setting the watch down while it's plugged in, you could accidentally put an angle on the cable which will ensure that it doesn't make contact with the charging leads.
4. No default email app yet. Only one that exists is for Sony phones
5. Music player could be improved a bit. No control over albums/folders (at least with the Google Play Music app). Very generic play/pause, volume, and next/previous track options. Doesn't show album art with Play Music on ICS (really? This is the default app that probably the majority of Android users use!!).
6. Sometimes if the phone is busy doing other things, you will notice on the watch that the icons take a while to show up (generic icons are shown instead of the specific application ones), which basically is exposing the fact that the apps aren't stored on the Smartwatch itself... which means that if your phones processor is bogged down, so will app responsiveness on the watch itself.
7. No voice search app or widget! Whether we have the phone sitting in our car in speaker phone mode, or have a blue tooth headset on, we need a dedicated voice search activation button widget! I am planning on sitting down one day to make one. This will be especially handy once we have the Google Assistant app (Siri competitor), not to mention how useful this would be to initiate calls to people while driving instead of using the HORRIBLE touch screen contacts app.
8. No microphone in the hardware! This sort of goes with #7 above.
Just got this thing in the mail here at work, well FedEx. Haven't really messed around with it yet. Loaded a few apps, so far so good! Will report back later on anything else I find.
yeh i just got mine today
still fiddling around with it
i look forward to updates
i also noticed the messaging app doesnt sync up constantly
like in the events app,i can get a new message notice and read it,but go back to the messaging app,and it shows older texts....
and theres some other minor quirks,like when the phone rings you can mute it, hang up, but not answer it
would be cool if there was a microphone and i could carry on conversations like im james bond
still fiddling around with it
i look forward to updates
i also noticed the messaging app doesnt sync up constantly
like in the events app,i can get a new message notice and read it,but go back to the messaging app,and it shows older texts....
and theres some other minor quirks,like when the phone rings you can mute it, hang up, but not answer it
would be cool if there was a microphone and i could carry on conversations like im james bond
Dude wait for the pebble: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android
I just hooked mine up today and had all kinds of problems keeping it connected. I am running a Galaxy Tab with the newly released CM-9 nightly. The apps I have tried work: in call control, missed call, audio control, message, and weather. The problem I have with the set up is that it keeps disconnecting as soon as you try and do anything. Originally it wouldn't re-connect reliably, I then found the Liveviewcharm application which allows it to reconnect all the time. So far, I would give it a C+ in my particular configuration but I am hoping.
YMMV, it seems people with other configurations are having less problems. It would be a good idea if people siad what kind of phone and what software they were running.
By the way, the reason the software leaves an icon in the status bar is so that the background app won't get shut down by the OS when it needs memory.
Fred
YMMV, it seems people with other configurations are having less problems. It would be a good idea if people siad what kind of phone and what software they were running.
By the way, the reason the software leaves an icon in the status bar is so that the background app won't get shut down by the OS when it needs memory.
Fred
ive seen the pebbles,plus if you donate u can get one now right?
but what makes it so better than the Sony?
like the pebbles watch is only black/white or monochrome?
---------- Post added at 09:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 PM ----------
what exactly is liveviewcharm? i find it on the net to download,but absolutely no description of what it is or what it does
Im using Samsung galaxy note with the watch. Stays connected fine unless im a ways away from the phone of course
Been very eager to get the original liveview, but heard about the various connection problems. Now this one seems to have that fixed 
Normally, I would have got this right away, but the pebble is quite interesting too. So since some of you have the smartwatch could you answer some of my questions please?
* Most importantly, how does this affect battery life? I pretty much destroy my battery in a matter of hours, I don't want this to turn my phone into a laptop where I'd need to charge it every 2-3 hours
* When the bluetooth connection drops, what happens? I know the smartwatch doesn't need the phone for clock functionality (unlike the liveview). So does it just show the time?
* I'm not good with coding and stuff, the smartwatch would be the better option for support right?
Thanks
Normally, I would have got this right away, but the pebble is quite interesting too. So since some of you have the smartwatch could you answer some of my questions please?* Most importantly, how does this affect battery life? I pretty much destroy my battery in a matter of hours, I don't want this to turn my phone into a laptop where I'd need to charge it every 2-3 hours
* When the bluetooth connection drops, what happens? I know the smartwatch doesn't need the phone for clock functionality (unlike the liveview). So does it just show the time?
* I'm not good with coding and stuff, the smartwatch would be the better option for support right?
Thanks
Been very eager to get the original liveview, but heard about the various connection problems. Now this one seems to have that fixed
* Most importantly, how does this affect battery life? I pretty much destroy my battery in a matter of hours, I don't want this to turn my phone into a laptop where I'd need to charge it every 2-3 hours
* When the bluetooth connection drops, what happens? I know the smartwatch doesn't need the phone for clock functionality (unlike the liveview). So does it just show the time?
* I'm not good with coding and stuff, the smartwatch would be the better option for support right?
Thanks
I can't really comment on battery life as I am using a tab which has a battery that lasts 24 hours no matter how I use it. Having said that as I far as I can tell there is no difference. I suspect on a phone with a smaller battery your results won't be as good.
The watch tries to reconnect automatically when the connection drops. The Liveviewcharm (clicky) app makes the reconnections much more reliable. The description is in Japanese, you will have to cut and paste the text into Google translate if you can't read it (I couldn't). Basically it is an app that stays running and monitors Liveview connections (which the SmartWatch uses). I can't be any more detailed than that.
I doubt that Sony support will be terrific but there is nothing to code. It mostly just works the way the instructions say. You do have to download each app you want to run on the watch but that is straightforward.
Fred
---------- Post added at 09:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:20 AM ----------
See my post above for a brief description of liveviewcharm, it does help. Good to hear the watch works well with a Note. Maybe subsequent releases of the CM-9 ROM will clean up whatever is wrong with the communications with watch.
One other thing, it is very hard to read in sunlight, one reason the Pebble could be better (when and if it is released).
In any event, I like the idea so much I signed up for a Pebble and may even buy a WIMM to give that a try. The problem for me is that I use the Tab as my only device and sometimes it is very cumbersome just to get out and see who is calling, etc.
Fred
Last edited:
Phone: Galaxy Note
Comment: This is my first smart watch.
And I love it. And guys this is Sony brand. It's important for lot of people. (Maybe is chip, but at least is Sony!)
Comment: This is my first smart watch.
And I love it. And guys this is Sony brand. It's important for lot of people. (Maybe is chip, but at least is Sony!)
Last edited:
Apparently you didn't experience Sony Ericcson's epic abandonment of their MBW-150 watches. Everyone's display has faded to black and Sony refuses to repair or replace them.
DAAAMN !!!
---------- Post added at 08:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------
Guys I need help !
When I shaking my watch the screen going to ON. It's supposed to be like that ?
You mean that the watch wakes when you shake it?
That's actually a feature I was hoping to see. I used to have a watch that would turn the light on when I flicked my wrist
This would be a nice feature, since you won't need to have another hand to activate it.So @owners of this watch, is that a feature of the watch?
You mean that the watch wakes when you shake it?
That's actually a feature I was hoping to see. I used to have a watch that would turn the light on when I flicked my wrist
So @owners of this watch, is that a feature of the watch?
Yes! I think you right! Its a cool future
D
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Smart watches are gonna get out SONY from bankrupticy. Lool
They really suck past few years trying to build something special. but only they did good is Play Station
They really suck past few years trying to build something special. but only they did good is Play Station
I don't like the look of the Sony smart watch, Pebble actually looks cool to wear and in the video on the website is an actual demo unit so it will happen and rock. Plus, they have nearly 6 million backers already, do you know what that is? Lol the development on that thing will be so strong and so good.
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3Hi everyone.
Sorry. was a bit busy the last days.
I worked a bit on some smartwatch apps.
the Mail notification app:
smartwatchmailnotifier11.apk
should no longer crash on the phone even when wrong settings are entered. i also changed a bit more and added some more settings in the settings-screen that are accessible from the javamail library.
there might still be a not responding message when the app fetches messages. So please press "wait" when this pops up. It should be faster after the first fetch though.
If you have problems i would like if you can provide some server-details. especially if you use some free mail hosting out there and wich settings you used in the app.
I also changed the Whatsapp Notification app.
I am not sure if the new version prints out the full message. But i changed it so it should print out every possible text type from the view. So there might be some odd number or something like that.
SmartwatchWhatsappNotifier21.apk
I also made a wrong answer. It seems the smartwatch does support more then the 3x3 touchpoints. i must have misunderstood the documentation of it somewhere.
I come to the conclusion because there is a new calculator app in the market that must need more than 3x3 touchpoints because of the many buttons.
Or are there different versions of the smartwatch?
//Edit:
Ok. made another small App for the Smartwatch because the default Calendar app does not show any event at all for me.
The app shows the Events from your Calendar on your smartwatch and you can swipe with your finger to the left to see the next event and swipe to the right to see the previous event.
It will most likely only work on Android 4.0 and higher devices. So sorry for everyone else.
SmartwatchCalendar.apk3
Hi.
if it is not responding it is most likely some wrong with your setting.
You can find the correct Port for your mailserver on the webpage of your mailprovider most of the time.
993 is only the port for the imaps port of google mail.
if you set it to imap it will most likely be a different port.
If you have set the server in any mail application on your desktop PC you could get the correct settings from there maybe.
I also changed the GPS Map application for the Smartwatch.
It is using now Google Maps and i have set the refreshing even higher. I am not sure about the battery consumtion with that high refreshrate.
with a press on the screen of the smartwatch you can dim the screen.
The problem with google mail is the big copyright box at the bottom that is eating much space.
Google Maps version:
http://bytewiese.de/fileadmin/_media/dl/smartwatch/SmartwatchMapGmap.apk
OpenStreetMap version:
http://bytewiese.de/fileadmin/_media/dl/smartwatch/SmartwatchMap.apk
You can not install both at the same time.
Maybe i should make a thread where all the apps for the Smartwatch can be found? I am not really sure if this is the right thread for the development of smartwatch apps.2
Hi. that is odd. there is nothing special happening on opening the event-list on the smartwatch.
Do you have the Accessibility Service enablend in your Android System Settings and enabled it inside of the Whatsapp notification settings? (there is a "Active" checkbox. The first one is only to show the icon on the smartwatch and is provided from the LiveWare Manager)
I also digged into the Sony E-Mail notification app.
When i am correct they have extended the Content Provider from the System E-Mail Application. the "isDeviceSupported()" Method does not just check for the Mobile-Phone ID or something like that which would be easy to change for other Phones.
It does check for the Content Provider from the E-Mail Application where it can get the E-Mail accounts and other data.
So without a modified E-Mail.apk for your Android version and no Root access i suppose it is not possible.
Thanks to Tippfehler and koba for providing the links.2Hello. i again have developed a bit.
I am not sure if the mail notifier does work now for everyone.
For me it worked already before on my actual device and in the emulator.
But still i changed a bit what i have forgot in the mail library.
smartwatchmailnotifier.apk
and i have developed a GPS Map Application:
SmartwatchMap.apk
I was not able to use the google maps api inside of an smartwatch app so i needed to make it different.
it uses now openstreetmap.
It does not have an own icon at the moment.
If you do not enable gps on your phone it should use your network location which is not really exact.
It keeps your WatchScreen enabled and might eat much battery for your phone and watch.
Please remember: everything is still in beta. So sorry about bugs.2Hi fourthw,
About the street names.. i fear google maps is not really optimized for such a low resolution. But it seems zooming out helped. You only need to reopen the app on the smartwatch and the new zoom should be active. I will see if i could make it zoomable from the app.
Am using a galaxy note with android ICS 4.0.4.
If you use google mail with 2 step verification you need to create a password for the app. Try to enter it with or without spaces. I fear though that the google mail imap implementation is a bit different because i wasnt able to see the bodytext either.
I am currently using the rss reader to get the google mail notifications where at least a part of the bodytext is readable. If you wish i could tell you how to use the rss reader for that.
//edit: have you enabled imap in google mail? http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=77695
