The Sony SmartWatch 3 is now available with a steel band, called the Sony SmartWatch 3 Steel. With the same exact specs as the SmartWatch 3, including built-in GPS and Android Wear software, but swaps the rubber and leather bands for a stainless steel band.
The Sony SmartWatch 3 Stainless Steel edition was one of the many devices available for viewing at CES 2015. Despite its name, the watch is basically exactly the same as the Sony Smartwatch 3, except that it comes with a stainless steel band.
This means that the watch has the same 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7 chip, 420 mA battery, and 320 x 320 resolution display as the Smartwatch 3 model. The stainless steel edition also comes with a built-in GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity as the other SmartWatch 3 models. It runs on the latest Android Wear 5.0.1 software and includes a heart rate monitor.
True to its first impression, the SmartWatch 3 Stainless Steel edition has a premium and substantial appeal. Unlike the Moto 360’s cheap stainless steel that feels hollow, the SmartWatch 3’s steel provides a more substantial and very solid fee. The watch feels a bit heavier compared to its stainless steel band but produces a very high quality product feel to it since it is well-balanced and weighted on the wrist properly. Without a super AMOLED display, the SmartWatch 3 has a poor viewing angle and a dim display look to it.
Basically, the Sony SmartWatch 3 Stainless Steel edition has the same hardware as the SmartWatch 3 but comes with a different band. It looks like a classy watch complete with definitive details and a square factor. There is no official pricing and release date for the SmartWatch 3 Steel but according to rumors, it will start selling at $299.