IFA 2013 will be remembered for the fact that an entirely new
market device category branched out from the experimental to commercial
stage of development. We’re talking smartwatches, specifically,
wristwatches that serve as a secondary screen, wirelessly connected to a
smartphone.
Of
course, this is far from the fact that smartwatches, or at least the
two latest and most serious attempts from Sony and Samsung, have yet to
reach a certain level of maturity that would guarantee them consumer
acceptance.
Compared to regular watches, they are still huge, futuristic, and
have poor industrial design. Battery life is an even greater problem, as
it will not last longer than a few days on either model. On their own,
smartwatches are inferior to even entry-level smartphones due to their
low-resolution displays and relatively slow chipsets.
But if IFA proved anything, it’s that there is interest in this type
of gadget, and early adopters will likely line up and consider buying
these devices, despite their questionable practicality.
The
TechnologyGuide team was in Berlin for IFA, and had the
opportunity to try several smartwatches, but the two that garnered the
most buzz on the show floor were the Samsung Galaxy Gear and
Sony SmartWatch 2.
Display
Just like with smartphones, the smartwatch display quality is key, and the
Samsung Galaxy Gear sweeps
the competition, especially compared to the Sony SmartWatch 2. Galaxy
Gear comes with a 1.63-inch 320 x 320-pixel Super AMOLED screen,
resulting in pixel density of 277 ppi, while the 1.6-inch LCD screen on
SmartWatch 2 has a resolution of 220 x 176 pixels, making the pixel
density 176 ppi. Compared side by side, the difference is stark. Even
elementary icons on the Sony watch are teething, while all lines appear
smooth and sharp on Galaxy Gear. Additionally, Samsung’s watch provides a
much better contrast, sustainable from any viewing angle, while Sony
cannot manage to reach the same contrast level.
Design
As far as design goes, Sony has the advantage. True, SmartWatch 2
weighs almost double the Galaxy Gear (.25 pounds compared to .16),
however, it is slimmer, feels more natural when worn, and is actually
reminiscent of a common “dumb” watch. In addition, the Sony SmartWatch 2
has an IP57 certificate, meaning that
Sony’s new Xperia smartphone,
is waterproof. Finally, Sony’s watch will be available with either a
silicone band in various colors or a metal band. The Galaxy Gear ships
with a silicone band studded with a camera and a clip that doubles as a
speaker/microphone combo. It’s available in various colors, but not
materials.
Connectivity
As far as connectivity goes, Sony’s device also has a distinct
advantage. Smartwatch 2 can be used combined with any Android smartphone
running version 4.0 or later, while Galaxy Gear can only be connected
to
Galaxy Note 3 and the new Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet for the time being. Samsung claims that the Galaxy Note 2, S3, and
S4
will soon be updated for support of the Galaxy Gear (it relies on
Android 4.3), but it’s both unknown and unlikely the Galaxy Gear will be
fully functional with other Android smartphones, even some recent
Samsung models. Sony’s flexibility is a big advantage for the SmartWatch
2.
Functionality
It is with the same ease that Samsung takes the lead in terms of
functionality. The Galaxy Gear enables numerous functions that the
SmartWatch 2 simply does not support. With a connected Galaxy Gear,
users can make phone calls by moving the watch towards the face, as well
as take photographs and then automatically transfer images to the
connected phone. The camera on Galaxy Gear’s band has a 1.9 MP
resolution, and it can also record 10-second HD video clips. In
addition, the images are not bad, and their quality can be compared to
those of mid-range smartphones. The Sony SmartWatch 2 does not even have
built-in speakers.
Battery
Comparing battery life, the Galaxy Gear offers much less in this
department. It will likely last just one day, meaning Samsung’s watch
needs to be recharged every night, which is more than many smartphones.
If Sony representatives can be trusted (and yes, we know companies very
often exaggerate battery claims) the SmartWatch 2 will last three to
four days, which is bearable to a certain extent, even though it is
still exceptionally poor compared to regular watches.
TG can’t wait to test both these units out fully before
rendering final judgment. Given the limitations of both, it’s hard to
get too excited for any pending smartwatch revolution, should it ever
come to be.
