Sony SmartBand Talk Review: Old Wine In An E-Ink Bottle

SONY

Sony SmartBand Talk Review: Old Wine In An E-Ink Bottle

No matter where you go, wearables are among the most discussed topics these days in the tech arena. This segment has created enough optimism in the industry (so much that Apple has one of these) and has given us the assurance that this segment is bound to grow.
Sony is one brand, which isn't new to this space but has been trying to reinvent themselves with their smartwatch and wearable fitness bands.



While their smartwatch is powered by Android Wear, their smartbands with e-ink display run on their standalone OSes, which have no Android dependence. . We've seen e-ink displays on Amazon's Kindle and more recently on the YotaPhone dual-screen device, but not on a wearable band. This does sound promising on many fronts, but it's hard to derive its true value in the current market. We are here to tell you more on the SmartBand Talk and its wearable quotient in particular.


What is it? 
SmartBand Talk SWR30 is very much like the company's SmartBand SWR10, but with the addition of e-ink display you end up seeing everything rather than just getting notified via vibration. As the name suggests, SBT lets you see who's calling, talk to them, get WhatsApp/Twitter/Gmail alerts, among others.



Who is it for?
It's just a band for fitness folks and anybody who doesn't like the battery prospect of a smartwatch right now. Thanks to the e-ink display, you end up getting much more life out of it, then let's say a Moto 360 watch (more to do with platform running under hood). Hard to categorize the product for any specific user, but for what it's worth, there is hardly anything special to talk about the device.

Design 
Let's just say, SmartBand Talk is the replica of SmartBand SWR10 but with the added E-ink display, in terms of design. It's a simple rubberized black band with textured finish that's meant for rugged use.





Put it on your wrist, just like the way you put on a watch and it will feel comfortable and lightweight . There is nothing fancy about the Talk and being a fitness band (with display) we don't expect it to be a design masterpiece. Efficient, effective and made-for-all package rounds up the SmartBand Talk.


How to use?
Setting up SmartBand Talk is very simple. Download SmartBand Talk app from Play store (you need phone with Android 4.4 KitKat or later) and select your respective band model. Once your device gets detected and paired, change settings on the band (watch face side, notifications panel etc.) as per your needs.



Once you're done, download the Life Log application that works in tandem with the wearable and gives your day-to-day health (steps, calories
lost, distance covered) reading. No problems there and you shouldn't find one either. Turn off your SmartBand Talk.



Having said that, you must understand the need to install the aforementioned settings (after resetting the device) whenever you want to connect the band with another phone. And here's how you can do that: Press and hold down both the power key and the volume up and down keys simultaneously until you feel three short vibrations followed by one longer vibration, and then release the keys.

What all do I get? 
In addition to being a fitness tracker, SmartBand Talk has been given the added bonus of microphone, which therefore enables you to make calls without the need to take out the phone. With Lifelog app, you can track all kind of movements; physically or virtually and unlike its previous version, the features seem to have improved than the ones we first saw for the SmartBand.



Battery 
With an E-ink display, SmartBand Talk manages to fight of the urge to become another weakling wearable with low battery life. While you might argue that with E-ink display we should expect a Kindle-like battery life of weeks and not just days, but that seems to be a universal issue for wearable makers right now. Sony claims to have upped the battery life of SmartBand Talk from single to three days, but during our usage we found the number to have been less than a day. What's eating into the battery? It's a Bluetooth device with all kinds of sensors loaded in that work in-and-out across the day. The display isn't the strongest suit (in terms of power) so, that's definitely not bothering the performance. It's not as bad as Android Wear watches but not good either.



Should I buy it or not? 
SmartBand Talk has got some nifty additions with calling support and display unit on board. However, it is still very much the same old SmartBand for us and at Rs 12,990 with an E-ink display; it is hard for us to understand the logic behind pricing the band so high. It's compatible with most Android phones (which is comforting to know) but isn't it better to spend 5k more and go for an actual watch instead? As of now, for us SmartBand Talk falls right between a fitness band and watch but fails to punch its weight.



The good 
E-ink display
Lifelog support improves
Up to 3 days battery
Voice calling support

The flaws 
Steep price
Needs more apps
Battery should be better with e-ink

Specifications 
Display: 1.4-inch E ink 296x128p
Weight: 24 grams
Dimensions: 23.5x9.5mm
Compatible: Android 4.4 and later
Waterproof: 1.5 m deep (IP68 rated)
Battery: 70 mAh battery (up to three days usage)
Price: Rs 12,990