But it's a decision that I welcome. Android Wear is still finding its footing and with Sony jumping into the mix can only be a good thing. I'm not entirely sure that much of the information is all that useful, but seeing how long you've spent walking or running and how many steps you've taken can be handy, especially as you can also set daily targets. This model has voice controls, handy if you want to give commands on the move but while notifications can be received, the ability to interact with them is limited. Incoming calls are still received on your smartphone or via a Bluetooth headset. If the watch is not paired to a compatible Samsung phone then you will not be able to make calls or receive calls or texts via the watch.

As smartwatches go, it remains crisp and clear. But even on such a small screen, there's still room for improvement, with text and images being noticeably less sharp than on a 1080p smartphone. But what sets this app apart is its augmented reality features. With just a few taps on your smartwatch screen, you can access a map overlay or view information about nearby restaurants and businesses simply by pointing at them with your watch face. It’s like having a personal assistant right there on your wrist! And don’t worry about draining your battery life – the Augmented SmartWatch Pro is designed with efficiency in mind, so it won’t slow down or use up too much power while in use. Thankfully the Smartwatch 2 employs your standard watch strap, with a peg and a number of holes to ensure a snug fit to your particular wrist size.The SmartWatch 3 runs on Google's Android Wear. And unlike standard Android, Google doesn't allow for any major modification of its Android Wear software. This means that the Android Wear experience is virtually identical across all Android Wear devices. You can read my review of the G Watch or the Samsung Gear Live for a closer look at the operating system's interface and features. In general, though, it is very much about putting smartphone notifications and Google Now functionality on your wrist. The Smartwatch 2 Call Handling app is an essential tool for anyone who wants to stay connected on-the-go. This handy app allows you to seamlessly manage your phone calls directly from your smartwatch. Whether you’re in a meeting, working out at the gym, or simply don’t want to pull out your phone, this app makes it easy to handle incoming calls with just a few taps. The company has shown no intention of releasing a Sony SmartWatch 4 either, so if you want a smartwatch from Sony you may be disappointed and you can also take a look at our guide to the best Wear OS watches right now. Any apps that you have on your watch can be accessed either by navigating to the start screen, which is buried at the bottom of a list of voice commands and actions or by actually giving the watch a voice command and asking it to launch an app.

Sony's only real software additions come in the form of some pretty lame watch faces. I like the default Digital face, as well as a weird Coordinate view that spells out the time on a graph. But in general, the rest of the selections here are neither as classy nor as fun as you'll find on competing watches. The SmartWatch 3 is definitely Sony's best smartwatch yet. The switch to Android Wear, however, is both a blessing and a curse. It's an improvement over Sony's previous smartwatch UI, but I'm just not convinced that it's ever going to become the type of operating system that makes the smartwatch something people need, rather than something they maybe-sort-of-want. The good news is that you will at least get notifications from all your apps, even if you can't always respond to them from your wrist and just being able to see what a notification is can be handy, as it's not always going to be something that needs immediate attention anyway. Are you looking for a way to make the most out of your smartwatch? Look no further than the Augmented SmartWatch Pro app, designed to enhance your watch’s capabilities unlike any other app on the market. Sony has popped a relatively mediocre 1.6-inch, 220 x 176 TFT LCD display in the Smartwatch 2, which is no where near as detailed or bright as the AMOLED offering in the Galaxy Gear, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

As with all devices, you can expect a range of pros and cons. To make your decision-making easier, we have detailed the main pros and cons below so that you can get an idea of what you would be spending your money on. Pros