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Sony SmartWatch: The littlest Android device

Sony SmartWatch brings Android to a wrist near you. But do people want this Dick Tracy-like gadget from Sony? 

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Sony
Say hello to the SmartWatch, the new Android watch from Sony.
  • By Matthew Shaer

Sony today took the wraps off the SmartWatch, a touchscreen timepiece powered by Android.

The device, which will set you back $149, works by establishing a connection with any device – tablet or smartphone – running Android 2.1 or higher. In other words, you can't strap the thing on your wrist and start flicking through a bunch of apps. You need to tether it via Bluetooth first (and also download the requisite app for the tablet or smartphone). 

Which, let's face it, is something of a let-down. 

On the plus side, the SmartWatch is plenty handsome. And sleek. (See video below.) According to specs posted on the Sony Mobile site, the device – available now – weighs less than a tenth of a pound, with a 1.42-inch screen. Sony puts the tethering range at 32 feet – anything over that, and you'd start to lose the connection. 

So what exactly are you meant to do with the SmartWatch? Well, you could check your email or your Twitter feed. You could browse Google News. Or download custom apps from Google Play. 

Over at TechCrunch, Chris Velazco thinks Sony could have a shot with this thing. The company "definitely seems to be gunning for the masses with the SmartWatch’s relatively inexpensive price tag and its slew of eye-catching wristbands ($20 each, in case you were curious), and it’s definitely worth a second look if you feel like the hassle of digging your phone out of your pocket is just too [much] of a hassle," he writes. 

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