Sony's SmartWatch was part of a rush of smartphone-connected watches released between 2010 and 2012, as developers looked to update Dick Tracy's wristwear for a world full of Android and iOS devices. But the Kickstarter-funded Pebble swept many of them away, gaining the kind of cultural cachet that other connected watches never even approached. With the Pebble a few months past release and Apple's iWatch still a rumor, Sony is teasing an update to its SmartWatch for this year's Mobile Asia Expo.
One in three smartphone users want smart wrist wear. #itstime #MAE13 pic.twitter.com/yOD0v7P2GJ
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21, 2013
Using the highly original hashtag #itstime, the Sony Xperia account has sent a couple of tweets that seem to promise a new watch at MAE, which kicks off June 26th in Shanghai. A second tweet shows what looks like the most recent iteration of Sony's watch, which was released in 2012. That second-generation SmartWatch was hurt by its confusing interface and awkward phone integration, but post-Pebble, it's possible we'll see a fuller feature set — and that the then-expensive price point will make more sense this time around.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock #itstime #MAE13 pic.twitter.com/FdHi4nBjNj
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) June 21, 2013
Update: CNET sources have provided a few more details about the new watch. Along with some relatively obvious basics, like that it will run Android, have a capacitive touchscreen, and have a larger screen than the current SmartWatch, it also is supposed to include a smartphone-like three-button interface below the screen and NFC, which would let it pair with phones instantly and then maintain the connection over Bluetooth.