An intriguing product, but one that's hard to work out if anyone will actually want it.

If, like me, you want the lightweight, power-sipping convenience of a fitness tracker, with a few smartwatch-style features added in, just without the extra weight and decreased battery life, then the SmartBand Talk makes sense. It’s functionally mid-way between the two devices, and a solid compromise.

The SmartBand Talk's screen, waterproof design and ability to show your incoming notifications make it a useful piece of tech to wear, even if you're not fussed about keeping track of your activity during the day.

While the SmartBand Talk definitely looks to be an improvement on Sony’s original lifestyle tracker, it’s not really accurate enough to compete with the established players in this genre. Unlike Fitbit, Garmin and Jawbone, the level of recording or analysis is basic at best and useless at worst. The E Ink display is a nice addition, even with the ghosting problems and the notifications are brilliant. But the calling features aren’t really needed, and perhaps the battery life could have been improved by leaving them out entirely. With a price tag of £130, it’s hard to fully recommend the SmartBand Talk as it only really succeeds in one of the three areas it aspires to deliver. At under £100, and a clear focus on smartphone updates and a longer battery life, Sony could have been onto a winner. Instead, it feels rushed and half-baked.