Sony Ericsson MBW-150 Classic Edition

Sony Ericsson has released a second range of Bluetooth watches, but the major differences are in design, rather than function. The MBW-150 Classic Edition is part of one of three models in the new range of watches that wirelessly synchronise with your mobile phone to alert you of incoming calls and messages.

The new range aims to suit all styles and tastes, and the Classic Edition features a large, round face with a black, genuine leather band. At first glance there is no indication that this is an electronic device, so it can be easily worn without being connected to your phone. Although it comes down to a matter of personal preference; we much prefer the style of Sony Ericsson's original watch, the MBW-100 Bluetooth Watch.

Towards the bottom of the face lies an OLED display. A soft blue backlight notifies you when your phone rings, as well as when you receive an SMS or MMS message. If the caller is stored in your phone book, the MBW-150 displays the name; if not, then just the number is displayed. When a new message is received, a small message icon appears on the display. Unfortunately, you can't actually read your message on the MBW-150 -- it certainly would have been extremely practical for the message to scroll across the display, so we are hoping this may be an addition to future models. Conveniently, the watch vibrates when notifications appear, although this function can be turned off if you wish.

The MBW-150 also allows you to control music playback on your phone and functionality has been improved from the original model. Where the MBW-100 Bluetooth Watch was only able to play, pause and skip tracks, you can now select previous tracks and adjust volume as well. Three buttons on the left side of the watch (previous, play/stop and next) handle your music and pressing the top key three times displays track information on the display, though this function only works on selected Sony Ericsson phones.

Two selection buttons adorn the right side of the watch; one scrolls through the menu items, the other selects them. Pressing the top selection button displays the date and a battery life indicator, but only for a few seconds -- there is no way to have this displayed all the time.

Being a Bluetooth device, the MBW-150 naturally needs to be charged via AC power, though it should last about half a week before needing a recharge. An adapter is included in the sales package that connects to a regular Sony Ericsson charger. The strangest and most perplexing aspect of the unit is once again the fact that when the battery runs out, the watch itself stops working.