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Bluetooth Watch MBW-100 - ( First Review )


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Posted by axxxr
Here's the first Review of the MBW-100 from CNet Asia

It isn't often that a mobile phone accessory overshadows handsets at a product launch, but the MBW-100 Bluetooth Watch certainly stole the limelight at Sony Ericsson's recent product announcement in conjunction with its 5th anniversary celebrations. Developed in collaboration with timepiece maker Fossil, the MBW-100 takes watch technology one step further by offering cell phone users the convenience of call and music controls right on their wrist. We took our sample prototype unit for a spin to see if the Bluetooth watch lived up to all the hype.

Upside
Think of Sony Ericsson's new MBW-100 Bluetooth watch as an extension of your mobile phone. Besides telling the time, it has a single-line OLED screen below the watch face that tells you who is calling (either the name in the phone's address book or the contact number) when you receive an incoming call. It also displays a message icon when you receive an SMS or MMS. Pressing the top right button on the MBW-100 lets users mute the ringtone during an incoming call. You can also reject a call by pressing the same button twice.

That's not all. Once we paired the watch with a Sony Ericsson Z610i clamshell, the center dial button could also be used to play and stop the music tracks on the phone. A long press of the center dial button allowed us to skip to the next song. Too bad the OLED display wasn't able to show the song title.

A rather nifty feature on the MBW-100 is its out-of-range notification function. When the phone is moved out of Bluetooth wireless range, the watch vibrates to alert the wearer. We found this useful as a security feature since it tells you if someone is attempting to walk away with the phone.

With just three buttons, the Bluetooth watch remains surprisingly easy to use and configure for pairing. The bottom button toggles between the various functions on the watch, while the top button activates/deactivates the function and doubles as a digital date and time indicator.

The Bluetooth watch comes with a mini cradle that charges the onboard battery via the contact points located at the back of the watch. It is rated for up to seven days of Bluetooth usage and an additional week for analog time-keeping.

Like the metallic Fossil watches in the market, the MBW-100 is a solid timepiece sporting a nice blend of matt and glossy silver exterior. According to Sony Ericsson, the watch is made of stainless steel with a scratch-resistant mineral crystal glass and anti-glare coating for improved clarity of the display.

Downside
From a design perspective, the MBW-100 is a product that's geared toward a rather specific audience. Its chunky exterior and hefty 187.5g weight is unlikely to appeal to the female crowd. Even for the average Asian male, the watch is a mite too big. At an estimated 300 euros (at press time there was no local pricing), it isn't cheap, either. Compared with current handset prices, this Bluetooth Watch is even more costly than a midrange mobile phone.

The MBW-100 doesn't work with all mobile phones. For full functionality, the Bluetooth watch is compatible with only specific models in Sony Ericsson's current and upcoming lineup. This includes the K610i, K618i, K800i, W710i, W850i, Z610i and Z710i.

The company could also have made better use of the watch real estate by incorporating a larger OLED display for reading SMS messages and possibly displaying song titles.

Outlook
Despite its chunky design and not-so-affordable sticker price, the Sony Ericsson MBW-100 remains one of the more innovative Bluetooth phone accessories we've come across so far. It is, however, not expected to appeal to the mainstream crowd. At press time, Sony Ericsson could not confirm if it would be shipping the Bluetooth watch to Asia. Do stay tuned for further updates.









Pros: Looks nice
Cons: Heavy and Bluetooth drains battery quickly

Opinion:
This watch looks cool and displays caller via BLUETOOTH. It is very heavy at 187g as phones normally weigh less than that so I rather strap a phone to my wrist. I normally love Sony products but I'll need a lot of convincing to go for this. Handset battry normally runs out quickly if bluetooth is on and this is only a watch. I hope they have a seperate battery for the watch bit or one would keep setting the time.
Not many people would have a practical use for this but good for those who love their gadgets as it looks cool.



Posted by QVGA
mobile-review also did a review.

Posted by Coxy
According to the MR review the battery is for both, so if it runs out the hands stop and you have to reset the time every time the battery runs out.

Posted by axxxr
Quote:

On 2006-10-13 17:29:17, QVGA wrote:
mobile-review also did a review.



Yes your correct but this is the first Review posted on esato.

Here's the one from: mobile Review

Posted by Burgaz
an how much will one of those bad boys set me back??
that's if it ever makes it to the uk?
_________________
Say No To Ninjas!

[ This Message was edited by: Burgaz on 2006-10-13 16:42 ]

Posted by axxxr
It will be available in the U.K for around £200

Posted by fatreg
surely they could make it kinetic??

hmmm...

charge my watch?

no thanks.. my watch never ever ever leaves my wrist..

fatreg

Posted by axxxr
I suppose by making it \"kinetic\" would have raised the production costs quite significantly thus affecting the retail price... proberbly wanted to give this watch a broader appeal and make it affordable.


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