Sony introduced a new version of its SmartBand, a wristband that helps users check messages from their phones and monitor their health.
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The SmartBand 2 is a fitness tracker first and foremost, with a skinny 9.5mm and super-lightweight 25g design. It uses the same “core” silicone chassis as the previous SmartBand, but the SmartBand 2 now has a built-in heart rate sensor that can measure your pulse as well as increasing stress levels.
Better still, the SmartBand 2 is fully waterproof and that’s even with an uncapped USB charging port. Wear it on a run in the rain or in the shower without any worry about damage.
Needless to say, it’ll also watch over you as you sleep, with automatic sleep detection and a “smart alarm” to gently vibrate you into wakefulness when it detects you’re in a “light” part of your sleep cycle.
All the data is automatically logged in Sony’s Lifelog app, which Sony claims is “popular”, but we’re not totally convinced.
Well, the Sony SmartBand 2 is definitely happening, and soon: next month. It also features a 58mAh battery, and connectivity options like Bluetooth 4.0, NFC. What’s more, Xperia phone or tablet owners will be alerted whenever they move more than 10m away from their device, ensuring you’ll never leave it behind when you go out the front door. Plus, you can control music playback on your smartphone by tapping on the band.
You can also use the wearable safely while swimming as it is IP68 certified, which means it is can withstand submersion in water up to 3 meters for 30 minutes and is dust-protected.
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You can also get a host app for Android and iOS, and we’ve asked Sony to clarify if the SmartBand 2 will work with other fitness apps. The wearable will be available in 60 countries globally (black and white colors initially, pink and indigo later on) in September 2015 for a price of $132 (119 euro).
