You see more and more fitness trackers that can monitor your heart rate and have other functions than just counting steps. Sony does also participate in this with the Sony Smart Band 2. It has a built-in heart rate monitor and can also alert you for incoming calls. The Sony Smart Band 2 will cost around $120 and is available since September 2015.
Sony Smart Band 2
The Sony Smart Band 2 with heart rate monitor can do much more: play music, measuring stress, and warn for new e-mail. The Sony Smart Band 2 gets a slightly different look than the first generation Smart Band. The material is the same: silicone rubber. Three LEDs show with different colors if there are notifications. This works via a connected smartphone, with support for Android and iPhone. LED lights and vibration patterns warn you when there’s an incoming call, text message, or email. One of the major changes compared to the Smart Band Talk, is that there is no screen present at the second generation Smart Band. You are completely dependent on lights and vibrations, and will need to look at the paired smartphone to know what is going on. No text appears on the bracelet.
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Sony Smart Band 2: exercise, sleep, stress
The Sony Smart Band 2 has so many new features, it’s hard to put it into a box. Is it a fitness tracker? Or a productivity bracelet? Sony calls it a ‘life logger” which gives you insight into fitness, well-being, stress, and many other personal matters. Through the Lifelog app from Sony, you can see how many steps you’ve walked and how many stairs you’ve climbed on. Also, you can see where you made photos, played games, and have been listening to music. The Sony Smart Band 2 is indeed also a remote control for your music. There’s a smart alarm clock built in, which keeps monitors your sleep behavior closely and wakes you at the right time with vibrations on your wrist. During the day, you can track your general condition, tension, and stress level.
At the same time, the Smart Band 2 is more suitable for sports, thanks to the built-in heart rate monitor. The smart bracelet automatically knows whether you are walking, running, or practicing other sports. That heart rate monitor is also used to measure the amount of stress to which you are daily exposed, by looking at heart rate variability (HRV).
The Sony Smart Band 2 is waterproof and must be recharged every two days. Fortunately, it charges really quickly: in an hour the bracelet battery is full again. You can choose from silicone rubber straps in black or white. There are loose straps available in pink, blue, and other colors.