Sony SmartWatch 3 now available from Google Play Store

This year’s Android Wear team is almost all but complete. Now almost all smartwatches are available on Google Play Store, with the exception of the ASUS ZenWatch, which is still to hit the market for the holidays. Today’s latest inductee is the Sony SmartWatch 3, which can now be purchased directly from Google’s online store with a price tag that just about reaches the high mark of the line. Except for the most expensive LG G Watch R, of course.

The SmartWatch 3 is a notable first on many aspects. It is Sony’s first smartwatch that uses Android Wear, despite the fact that it already has two generations of smartwatches that use Sony’s own proprietary platform. Not that we’re complaining, as it does give buyers more options when it comes to the Android Wear selection. It is also one of Sony’s very few, and now only, entries into Google Play Store, with the last one being the Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition that was removed from the roster last July.

The device is also the first Android Wear to bear its own GPS chip inside, allowing it to be used for tracking purposes even without a paired smartphone. Perfect for worry free running. Android Wear’s latest update could even be said to have been tailored for the SmartWatch 3, as it adds support for GPS as well as for local music storage and offline playback. That said, Sony’s smart timepiece isn’t the perfect active companion as it leaves out the now common heart rate sensor in exchange for the GPS.

If Sony’s style is more to your taste, and if you prefer having a GPS on your wrist but don’t mind the absence of a heart rate monitor, then you can now avail of the Sony SmartWatch 3. That is, if Google Play Store’s selection is available in your region. The smartwatch costs $249.99, on par with the likes of the Moto 360.

SOURCE: Google Play Store