Sony SmartWatch vs. Samsung Galaxy Gear!

Sony SmartWatch vs. Samsung Galaxy Gear: The first big battle in the wearable tech war Sony's latest wearable tech creation, the SmartWatch 2 (SW2) is attractively styled, water-resistant, and sports plenty of apps and watch faces. The Samsung Galaxy Gear is a strong contender too, running a specially tweaked version of Android powered by an 800MHz processor, and flaunting a big color OLED screen. Heck, it even has a mic and speaker plus a camera. But just how useful are these watches really, and how do they stack up against each other? Read on as we break down Samsung's and Sony's tempting wearable tech entries. Design Sony SmartWatch 2 If you're familiar with Sony's first foray into the smartwatch space, you won't be too shocked by the SmartWatch 2's look and feel. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sony's initial gadget was one of the sexiest-looking smart timepieces I ever laid my hands on. It was small, light, and attractively styled. It also used a flexible silicone wristband that was pliable enough to feel extremely comfortable, yet springy enough to grip wrists tightly. At the moment Sony hasn't announced different color options for the SW2, but if history is any indicator, you can expect the watch to ship with multiple wrist strap options just like its predecessor. Sony has taken the same approach here, using a similar silicone strap and premium aluminum body. Measuring a mere 1.65 inches tall by 1.61 inches wide and 0.35 inch thick, the SW2 is also extremely svelte. Tipping the scales at just 0.8 ounce, Sony's device extremely light as well. Samsung Galaxy Gear Compared with the SmartWatch 2, the Galaxy Gear is physically more imposing -- at least on paper. Measuring 1.45 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide and 0.44 inch thick, there's no arguing that the Gear is larger. Additionally at 2.6 ounces, Samsung's watch is a lot heavier than the SW2. Surprisingly though, when I got the chance to strap the Galaxy Gear to my wrist I found it felt much lighter than expected. Also, evenu though the Gear's rubbery strap isn't as pliable as Sony's previous smartwatch band, it is comfortable to wear. The watch is crafted with luxurious silver metallic flair so will hopefully draw the right sort of attention when noticed. At the outset Samsung said it plans to offer the Gear in myriad band colors; six, to be exact. These include jet black, mocha gray, wild orange, oatmeal beige, rose gold, and lime green. Advantage: Sony SmartWatch 2 Display Sony SmartWatch 2 One trade-off with the SW2's smaller size is its display. While it technically measures 1.6 inches across, the SmartWatch 2's screen isn't quite as expansive as the Galaxy Gear's 1.63-inch viewer. It also packs fewer pixels than Sammy's gadget; 220x176 pixels as opposed to 320x320 pixels. Sony, however, worked to address its first smartwatch's major failing, namely that its OLED screen was practically impossible to read under strong sunlight outdoors. Indeed, the SW2 is equipped with a transflective LCD designed not to become washed out in daylight. Samsung Galaxy Gear In terms of sheer size and pixel count, the Gear trumps the Sony SmartWatch 2. Its bigger 1.63-inch OLED screen serves up a sharper resolution (320x320 pixels). When I saw the Gear in person, the watch's display also produced images and text with vivid colors and high contrast. The Gear's screen also was extremely bright -- so much so that it gave my point-and- shoot camera trouble capturing its image. Of course, I didn't get a chance to observe the device outside under the blazing sun so we can only take Samsung's word that it's bright enough for pleasing outdoor use. OLED screens typically don't offer as many lumens as their LCD counterparts, transflective or otherwise. Advantage: Samsung Galaxy Gear Features and UI Sony SmartWatch 2 Speaking of basic capabilities and user interface, the second incarnation of Sony's smartwatch doesn't depart much from the original. You get the same touch-screen UI, sliding widgets for viewing weather, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and other phone alerts that the first Sony timepiece sported. Also important is that the SmartWatch 2 is compatible with many Android handsets, not just Sony phones.