ADVERTORIAL • May 2019

Seven things you didn’t know about the Sony wena

What do you do if you fancy a smartwatch, but don’t want to give up on the watch you’ve got on? Sony has the answer. Its new wena watch puts all the technological smarts in the strap, not the watch, so you can just attach it to your favourite timepiece. Our tech writer reveals some of the smartest things you may not know about this groundbreaking tech

It’s very discreet

The wena strap has a display that is not only high-resolution (it’s a pin-sharp OLED screen), but is the height of discretion. It’s a narrow strip, just enough to show you notifications, or how many steps you’ve taken that day. It sits out of sight on the underside of the wrist, meaning you can glimpse your notifications when your watch is face down.

Wena actually means something

The name wena (pronounced ‘wenner’) actually stands for ‘wear electronics naturally’, something to which we all aspire, no? It was designed to be different from the bright, wearable touchscreens found on other smartwatches in order to blend in better with our modern world. You can choose between a brushed metal band or a sportier silicone one – either way, it makes the watch look classy, rather than your run-of-the-mill fitness tracker.

The dressier model is…

…the wena wrist pro. Although both options are pretty suave, one is designed to be smarter, the other aimed at feeling sportier. The wena wrist pro, which comes in black or silver stainless-steel finishes, is the more traditional look and is unmistakably elegant. Here to make your favourite timepiece smarter, the team also introduce wena watch faces which are designed to match with slick, modern finishes.

The wena wrist active is the sporty one

The watch faces are the same on both models, but the Wrist Active silicone strap makes it ideal for working out. In fact, because the step tracking and other features are all in the strap, you can take the watch off and just wear the strap when you go running, which saves weight. There’s a GPS sensor in the Wrist Active strap, though not the Wrist Pro, and it can track your heart rate, too. Handily, all the steps and other activity are stored on your companion smartphone.

Both are water-resistant

Yes, both Wrist Active and Wrist Pro have been carefully built, so whether you’re running in the rain, showering or swimming, your watch and strap are safe. Mostly it just gives you peace of mind that it won’t be a problem if you get it wet – so no more worrying about a particularly sweaty workout. The Wrist Pro is water-resistant to a depth of 5ATM – that’s 50 metres – and the Wrist Active half of that.

You don’t need to charge it every night

Sure, you’re familiar with charging your phone every single night, and though many smartwatches require the same daily diligence, the wena straps can last up to a week between charges. Since the activity tracking includes sleep monitoring, it means you can keep it on at night, too, and find out exactly how sweet your dreams have been.

You can use it as a digital wallet

Like some other smartwatches, you can use the wena as a way to pay. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you just tap your wrist on the credit card reader and you’re done. Oh, and one more clever thing: because it’s on the underside of your wrist, it’s a much more natural action when you come to pay because you don’t have to flip your arm over.