Sony Fitness Bracelet

Every year, new technologies are increasingly being introduced into our lives in order to simplify and facilitate it. No trip or walk is complete without a smartphone, and a working day is complete without a tablet or computer. Humanity is trying to learn the secret of life without hassle, striving for complete automation of not only production, but also everyday life. Various sports accessories, including the well-known fitness bracelets, will help you keep fit.

A novelty from the Japanese company Sony - the SmartBand fitness bracelet - in general, has not brought anything innovative into the world of technology. Sports enthusiasts have long been familiar with these gizmos that control the heartbeat. However, for Sony, this is the first experience in the production of sports accessories.

At first glance, the novelty of the Japanese developers seems rather primitive - the bracelet does not even have a display. But this allowed the company not to suffer with the processor (Sony SmartBand SWR10 is equipped with the smallest - Cortex-M0).

Like any tracker, the Sony fitness tracker calculates the distance you walked by adding up your steps, and also calculates the approximate number of calories you burned. In combination with programs that will be discussed below, this device receives more information about the activity of its owner than other models of similar sports accessories. In addition, the built-in heart rate sensor works autonomously.

In the "brain" of the bracelet, SmartCore, there are sensors, a chip and memory, and on the side of the gadget there is a multifunctional key and LEDs. A replaceable bracelet strap made of pleasant hypoallergenic material is inserted into it. The inner side is smooth for comfortable wearing, and the front side is embossed. The set includes two straps: small and large.They also come with one neatly chiseled aluminum cufflink and a circular milled clasp engraved with the company logo.

Now models are available in white and black, but soon the developers promise to release pink bracelets, as well as indigo gadgets.

Without further ado: the new product from Sony looks stylish and laconic, corresponding to the smart line.

Like all Sony mobile devices, the device is IP58 (Ingress Protection Rating) dust and water resistant. Manufacturers claim that you can take a shower, swim in the pool with the bracelet.

However, there is a catch: when immersed in water, liquid gets into the cavity of the gadget, which is then quite difficult to remove. So after bathing, the water will slowly flow out of the case, and the hand will be constantly wet.

Comparing SmartBand with models from other companies, it is impossible not to notice that Sony does not place much emphasis on the sports orientation of its device. Rather, on the contrary, the company presents a stylish gadget with a huge range of functions in addition to counting steps and calories. The SmartBand is primarily a useful accessory with many features.

The enhanced model, Smartband 2, boasts a built-in heart rate monitor that can measure stress and tension during exercise or track how your heart rate is recovering after exercise. Double-clicking on "start" will set the continuous HRM (human resources management) mode, so that the battery can last for more than 10 hours.

• ARM Cortex-M0 processor, single core;
• 16 KB of RAM and 256 KB of flash memory;
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE; NFC (Near field communication);
• gyroscope, accelerometer (sensor for determining the position in space, pedometer);
• connector for the micro-USB charging wire;
• battery 0.133 Wh

The body of the bracelet contains a vibration motor for notifications and alarms, a small battery with a capacity of 0.133 Wh, a motion sensor, 16 KB of RAM and 256 KB of flash memory. Despite the minimum capacity, the battery lasts up to five days, which means that you only have to charge the gadget once a week.

WITH using NFC, the bracelet easily connects to the phone: you just have to turn on the miniature gadget and bring it to the back of the smartphone. After a few seconds, the SmartBand will be paired with the mobile. Two applications will also be connected at once: Smart Connect (it is responsible for managing the bracelet, setting it up) and Lifelog (tracks vital activity).

When you first start the device, you are offered to download the Lifelog application, which records daily activity, and not only physical. The program collects data on what kind of music you listen to, how much time you spend watching movies and chatting on social networks. All information is taken from the frequency of launching certain applications.

In the day mode of the bracelet, all your actions on the phone are recorded on Lifelog, and in the night mode, any notifications are turned off and information about sleep is recorded. The application determines the duration of sleep and its phases; in the categories into which all the data is divided, you can see when the sleep was the most profound and healthy. The program also has a function for drawing up routes of movement, however, it requires constant operation of the GPS sensor, which pretty much drains the battery.

Some users complain that the program often “slows down” and freezes, slowing down the operation of the smartphone itself, and after a long time using it in combination with a bracelet, you can face serious interruptions in work.

And although the majority of consumers associate SmartBand with fitness, this device has a much wider range of options.

A smart bracelet from Sony supports calls and notifications - when a message or a call arrives, the device notifies about it by vibration. Moreover, with the help of the gadget, you can take a call and use it as a wireless headset. Unfortunately, this scheme does not work with notifications - they will have to be answered directly through the smartphone.

Another useful feature that the bracelet offers is an alarm clock. It is configured through the Smart Connect application, where the desired rise time, the number of repetitions and the interval are selected - the time interval before waking up, during which the device monitors the phase of shallow sleep. This is necessary in order for the SmartBand to wake you up in this phase, since it is much easier to wake up in it than in deep sleep. The vibration of the alarm clock is strong enough to wake up the most avid sleepyhead.

With the help of a smart bracelet, you can control music: turn on, rewind songs. One tap on the bracelet stops or resumes playback, two knocks start the next song, three - the previous one.

The device is very soft to the touch, and with the right choice of strap (of the two offered - sizes S or L) it does not interfere and does not irritate. After a few days of wearing, it becomes completely invisible on the hand. A frivolous-looking cufflink does its job well - it firmly holds the bracelet on the hand. The accessory does not require particularly gentle handling, does not rub the wrist during everyday wear.

So, to get a more complete picture, it is worth comparing all the pros and cons of the gadget.

Advantages:

1. Thanks to the Bluetooth adapter and NFC, it is possible to pair with a smartphone.
2. Long battery life, ergonomics.
3. Water and dust resistant.
4. Soft strap.
5. Reasonable price (Smartband SWR10 - on average 3990 rubles, Smartband 2 SWR12 - about 6990 rubles).
6. Stylish design. Japanese manufacturers continue to maintain the main characteristics in their gadgets: simplicity and minimalism.

Disadvantages:

1. The bracelet does not display the time, and this affects its functionality, since in order to control the time, in addition to the device, you will also have to wear a wristwatch. (Applies to Smartband SWR10 black / white).
2. A very rough count of steps and daily activity.
3. Compatible with Android operating system only. However, this is understandable, because all Sony products work exclusively with it.

Well, the Sony smart bracelet is positioned as a very useful gadget for active people. However, it is not without its drawbacks, so the final purchase decision is up to you.

Consumers disagree over the bracelet from Japanese manufacturers. Most users note the excellent design and versatility of the bracelet. Girls praise the minimalistic style of the gadget and its presentable appearance, while men praise its ergonomics. Fitness enthusiasts claim that this device is an indispensable accessory for anyone who leads an active lifestyle or wants to organize their day.

Negative reviews are no less common. For example, some are outraged by the lack of water resistance of the fitness bracelet, as well as by the fact that the strap, especially the black one, collects dust, which is difficult to clean due to the embossed pattern. For some, it seemed inconvenient to control the bracelet.

Everything here is purely individual, since the reviews about this development from Sony are very contradictory.