IFA 2014: Sony’s New Z3 Tablet Compact, SmartBand Talk And SmartWatch

Not content with just announcing the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony has a few more devices to announce at IFA 2014 — just in case you were thinking that there wasn’t enough new tech to capture your attention already. There’s a new tablet — the world’s first with PS4 Remote Play — and two new wearables.

Campbell Simpson travelled to Berlin and IFA 2014 as a guest of Sony Mobile Australia.

Sony SmartBand Talk

Sony’s new Smartband Talk looks functionally similar to the Samsung Gear Fit, with a curved display that wraps around your wrist. This display is a low-power e-ink one, though, which should mean significantly improved battery life. Bluetooth 4.0 syncs to your smartphone and Sony’s everything-tracking Lifelog app, which not only tracks fitness statistics like steps and travel and other data but also keeps a tab on how much social media and Web browsing you’re doing throughout your day (if you want it to, of course).



[clear]

Fascinatingly, the SmartBand Talk has an integrated microphone and speaker. This may seem a little Dick Tracy but if you’re out for a run and need to take a quick call, it makes sense on paper. HD Voice is supported on compatible carriers, so it should be an overall clear chatting experience. The 1.4-inch E-paper display is joined by an improved accelerometer and altimeter, and like everything else Sony these days it’s IP68 waterproof. No word on pricing or a launch date as yet.

Sony SmartWatch 3

The SmartWatch 3 is Sony’s entry into the Android Wear smartwatch market, coming up against the Moto 360 and the new LG G Watch R and every other Android Wear gizmo about to flood the market. If you have an Android smartphone, all your app notifications are synced across the two devices and it’s easy to quickly glance and then swipe them away. Basic controls like voice navigation work — usually. Android Wear needs a bit of tweaking before it’s trouble-free on any device.



[clear]

The Sony SmartWatch 3 has 4GB of onboard memory, so you can save a playlist of music to it and leave your smartphone at home when you go for a run. It’s not a killer feature, but it goes to show that Sony is trying out new features on a platform that up until now only had competitors challenging each other on design alone. Black and lime colours will be available on the SmartWatch 3’s as-yet-unconfirmed launch, with white and pink wristbands coming later as well.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z3 Compact

Announced and launched alongside the new Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact, the Xperia Tablet Z3 Compact follows the same naming convention as the other Xperia Z family products — this one’s a tablet, but it’s a compact tablet. Like the other new handsets, it’s equally dust- and water-tight and has the same smoothed-out design, being available in autumn of this year with both Wi-Fi only and LTE-capable variants in black and white.

The Tablet Z3 Compact has an 8-inch 1920×1080 pixel Full HD display using Sony’s TRILUMINOS gamut-widening subpixel and backlighting tech, and it’s both the world’s slimmest (6.4mm) and lightest (270g) compact tablet (according to Sony, of course). This little gem is an iPad killer — it has the same Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor as the two new superphones, and is currently the only tablet in the world to support PS4 Remote Play. Pair this thing with a DualShock 4 controller and a PS4 and who needs a TV?


More Sony News From IFA

Sony IFA 2014 Live Blog: Follow The News As It Happened

IFA 2014: Hands On With Sony’s Xperia Z3 And Z3 Compact

IFA 2014: Sony’s New Z3 Tablet Compact, SmartBand Talk And SmartWatch

Sony Xperia Z3 And Z3 Compact: Everything You Need To Know

Sony QX1: A Weird Interchageable-Lens Camera You Strap To Your Phone

Sony SmartBand Is An E-Ink Wristable That Works With A Snap

Sony Action Cam Mini: A Shrunken-Down Shooter For The Adventurous


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.