When it comes to fitness trackers, the first brand that comes to mind is the $9 billion worth Fitbit. They’ve got almost all types of wearables that keep record of your daily activities like your step count etc. But Sony thinks that it can take on this megabrand in its own genre. The tech giant today announced a new fitness tracker band called the Sony SmartBand 2. The new band may appear like any other, though it is anything but.
Looking at the band from an observers point of view, it appears absolutely normal. It has a colourful design and it’s got a silicon band to track your workout phases. But let’s now get into the features of the band.
The band not just tracks your steps for days, it also comes with an integrated heart-rate monitor. As if that wasn’t enough, the band essentially is your fitness therapist. It features a new service that Sony has just released which can monitor your stress level, or your level of excitement. No, seriously. I am not joking!
The band can also combine information from the accelerometers with the heart rate sensor so that it can map your heart rate with each activity.
*sigh* The feature count isn’t over yet! The band is, to be absolutely honest, a baby smartwatch. It can give you push notifications on your wrist via vibrations and LEDs whenever you get a call, a message or an email. You can also manage the music you are listening to using the SmartBand 2 and it also allows you to set alarms. Sony has already released the Android companion app for the SmartBand 2 which brings all these features to life.
The only drawback we know of is that the battery on Sony’s new band lasts only a couple of days.
At $130, the band seems to be a pretty good deal for anyone interested. It is stated to be compatible with iOS 8.2 and Android 4.4 (KitKat) and is set to hit the stores in September this year.
