Sony swaps silicone for steel to make the SmartWatch 3 look good

Sony's new SmartWatch is a big improvement over the original. Photo: Sony

Sony’s new SmartWatch is a big improvement over the original. Photo: Sony

Even long-time SmartWatch fans were disappointed with the design of Sony’s latest wearable, which was made almost entirely out of silicone when it made its debut back in September. But Sony is fixing that with a new SmartWatch 3 variant made out of stainless steel — and it looks great.

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By swapping the tacky plastic for a more premium bracelet and chassis, Sony has turned what was once one of the ugliest Android Wear watches on the market into one of the prettiest. The original model will continue to be available, but those who are willing to spend more can opt for the much-improved design.

Design changes aside, you’re still getting the same watch either way. The metal model comes with the same 1.6-inch transflective LCD display with the same 320×320 resolution, and it maintains the built-in GPS — something which the SmartWatch’s rivals do not have. It also has a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 4GB of storage, and a 420mAh battery.

Sony also has plans for a “SmartWatch 3 holder,” the company confirmed at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, which will let you combine the device with any 24mm watch strap you’d like. That’s going to be available in early 2015.