Sony unveiled a much-improved version of its Wena smart strap for watches – in case you haven’t seen it before, this is kind of like a smartband, except it replaces the strap of your watch. Any watch, you can have a classic mechanical watch with modern smarts.
The screen is now much larger – the Wena
Pro had a tiny line display, this one fits several lines of text. It can
display notifications from your phone (which you navigate by swiping) and has
alarms and timers (which your watch may or may not lack).
You can now use Alexa too, there’s a mic
for voice commands and a speaker so the Amazon assistant can answer your query.
The built-in NFC supports several mobile payment systems (Japan specific for
now). Another new feature on the Wena 3 is the heart rate sensor, which can
detect blood-oxygen saturation and calculate VO2 Max. The strap also estimates
stress and recovery, it has the usual step counter and sleep tracker as well.
Since this strap is meant to be paired
with with good-looking watches, it has to look good itself. It is made out of
SUS316L stainless steel and the Premium Black version has been ion-plated (a
physical vapor deposition process). This makes the exterior wear-resistant
while also avoiding issues with nickel allergy.
There’s a silver version of the metal
model if you prefer, as well as leather and even rubber options. You could wear
this as a smart band too, though it’s really at its best when paired with a
watch. The strap is water resistant up to 5 ATM, making is suitable for
swimming. Battery life is about a week and charging is done using a custom
connector.
The Sony Wena 3 will be released in Japan
on November 27, it starts at JPY 24,000 before tax for the rubber option (€ 215
or so), the leather ones are JPY 30-32,000 while the metal ones go for JPY
33-35,000. Previous Wena models have made their way to Europe, maybe this one
will too.
