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Moto 360 (2015) review

7.6/10 AVG.
RATING
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Moto 360 (2015)
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If you loved the first Moto 360, you'll love the new model's major design improvements along with some new, minor added features.

- Lily Prasuethsut, TechRadar 


The hardware and battery are better; the design is more thoughtful; and there are a host of customization options to meet your personal style.

- Nathan Ingraham, Engadget 

Specs / Features


Warranty (Months) 12 months
Size
Weight N/A
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Reviews summary section

What's good

  • Extremely customizable
  • Great screen to bezel ratio
  • Different watch sizes for more comfort
  • Sharp screen
  • New design makes it appear more like a traditional watch

What's bad

  • No GPS support
  • Flat-tire screen design takes away from circular screen design
  • Automatic brightness adjustment slow

A year after their first attempt at a smartwatch, Motorola releases its second attempt at Android Wear with the second generation Moto 360. As with other products the company makes, consumers can easily customize the smartwatch by choosing from a slew of watch case colors, bezels and watch bands. It even offers different sizes – 1.56 or 1.37 inches – for those that prefer a smaller watch face. It still sports the round screen, but the strap mounts are now placed on the outside of the watch instead of beneath it. This small change made it much more comfortable for experts and much more attractive to them as well.

Although it markets itself as a round screen, the display is not completely circular. Like the 2014 version, this Moto 360 has a black bar on the bottom, which houses the ambient light sensor. Although Motorola claims most people do not notice the bar, some reviewers disagree with CNET stating, "I notice it when the circular watch face I have installed is cut off at the bottom, and I notice it with any background that isn't black." Others have no issue with the so-called "flat tire" appearance. They add that while it did occasionally make some options look "silly" this also allowed for the high screen to bezel ratio making it well worth the screen space. The LCD display offers a resolution of 360 x 330 pixels for a pixel density of 233ppi for the 1.56 inch model or 263ppi for the 1.37 inch one. For the most part experts found it to be fairly sharp though difficult to read in bright light situations as the automatic light adjustment often took up some time to reach the proper brightness.

Housed inside the watch is a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 512GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Whereas experts describe the first 360 as sluggish, the second generation blew them away with its increased speed. They had no issues with lag or delays when navigating the screen or opening apps. It also comes equipped with WiFi so consumers can use it even if they leave their phone behind. The battery has also increased to 400mAh, giving critics around 30 hours of moderate to high use. Unlike other Android Wear devices, the Moto 360 works with Qi wireless charging technology and comes with a charging cradle though it can work with other Qi charging pads. For the fitness enthusiast, experts suggest looking to other watches. Not only does it lack GPS, they also found the heart rate sensor to be inaccurate when actually on the move despite the new diffuser ring. It does, however, come with a water-resistant rating if IP67, which means it can survive a shower but not a dunk in the pool.

Some reviewers seem to love the Moto 360 while others are a bit more ambivalent. They all agree, however, that the watch itself is very attractive. Slash Gear states, "Motorola doe smartwatches right again…The company has created what's sure to be one of the most sough-after models of Android Wear watch on the market." Gizmodo adds, "…I'm convinced that once you get a Moto 360, you'll probably love it. But right now, it feels like Motorola is on to something – but isn't quite there yet." On the other hand, Stuff.TV was less impressed than others arguing, "The new Moto 360 delivers on a surface level, but it's found wanting once you begin to live with it."


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