For once a nice looking smartwatch: Moto 360

Sorry Moto, the LG GWR is nicer, more premium looking, and has Android Wear so the apps/functionality will be similar, and knowing LG, price will be cheaper and drop fast, since LG is kinda like the big hidden secret right in the middle of the street - they make the best Android phones bar none (G2, G3) which are unknown by most and are much cheaper.
 
It will be interesting to compare the Moto360 to LG G-Watch-R in terms of specs as well as appearance. It would be nice if they'd increase the amount of RAM for instance, not to mention additional sensors (provided they can be disabled by the user) and the like.

While I'm temped to pick up the 360 (or something else, if released by year's end?), I am wondering what will change in the market if Apple launches the iWatch. Two possibilities, per Apple usual, it could A) Do at least one thing, including aesthetics, better than current offerings, and thus push future smartwatches to compete if everyone starts drooling over the killer feature and B) be an "also ran" in terms of specs/features etc... that really doesn't offer anything new, but certain demographics will drool over it because it was plucked from Apple's holy orifices. If anything, I'm thinking that Apple's watch may be the first modern smartwatch that comes in a "ladies" size, which is a currently underserved market. Yes, its easier to pack things into a large smartwatch, but it means that most women and some men won't buy a monstrosity.

Monitoring developments on XDA Developers, I'm happy to see that Android Wear at least seems to be open source and isn't completely dependent on proprietary Google software, if you don't want it to be, so I'm definitely interested in picking one up. I actually am considering developing an privacy-focused smartwatch/Android Wear app that requires a heartbeat sensor (and perhaps others), but I'll need to see how Wear works first, and if it can be fully rooted and paired with a rooted device.

Note: Samsung's next gen smartwatch has been announced as well - the Gear S - http://www.tomshardware.com/news/samsung-gear-wearables-smartwatch-amoled,27558.html . This one is a full phone in and of itself, running on the Tizen OS, so that's interesting. If I recall, Tizen is Samsung's variant of the hacker-beloved Maemo OS that used to run on the Nokia N900 series, but I am unaware of its current state. Still, when it comes to hardware these things are being fired out of the gate. I really wish they would just announce them all ahead of time instead of dropping a new one every few months or so. Or at very least, announce the highest end options first, and then come up with lower spec options later. Nothing more frustrating to buy the new top of the line and have it outmoded in a matter of months, sometimes significantly so.
 
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We also still haven't seen the HTC watch yet. Current rumors point to a round mirasol display and metal, but it's just rumors so far.
 
I think it looks fantastic and I'm always a metal band guy. If I'm not mistaken they will be releasing it with a metal band version as well. But the battery life and the annoying chopped off part of the screen sucks.

They will incorporate this into the watches to solve the battery issue. It would be a perfect fit.
 
rhouck said:
Yeah, I saw that. All of them look pretty terrible :p , but my assumption is that you can use any aftermarket band with them, so a nice band could really clean up the look. The band is certainly a minor issue if the rest of the watch looks good :)
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All looks like typical generic leather and steel watch bands to me.
 
The LG Watch R is ugly as sin on a person's wrist per the new pictures that came out today (with people actually wearing it; the rendered press photos made it look good originally). Very bulky in comparison to the Moto 360, definitely not as 'elegant' looking as the 360 in the slightest. It is more of a 'sports watch' type look... I see people heavily favoring the Moto 360 in terms of looks
 
Its nice that the metal bands will be available for Moto360 later... the question I have is if the watch chassis itself is the same between the leather editions and metal ones. That is to say, are the "light/dark stainless steel case" options still the same, as its hard to tell from the pics. It stands to reason that the watch itself wouldn't be any different, but I just want to make sure.

Otherwise, it seems like the Moto360 looks like a better opportunity than the LG GWatchR; better looking, has more sensors, isn't as bloody huge. I'd be interested to see the full specs for sensors for the Moto360 for instance, which apparently has a proximity and light sensor (one reason that it has that "cutout" at the bottom of the screen. The G-watch-R omits the cutout, but also omits the sensors within so its battery life will be shittier), but isn't listed on the sites "specs" page.

I'm curious to purchase, especially as I am interested in creating an (Free software, open source) app that would be bolstered by having an Android Wear device with a heartbeat sensor for biometric security, but I have to wonder if I should wait until after the iWatch debuts in a few days to see how competitors stack up.
 
Supposedly goes on sale today at 12pm ET. It's live on Google Play. I plan to pick it up at Best Buy.

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=motorola_moto_360_leather_black

Sort of undecided between the chrome or black case. Advantage of black is it looks smaller but is probably more visible with scratches.

Black metal wrist band is definitely fugly especially where the band attaches to the watch. They should've tapered off that area. Black leather wristband also looks fugly since it looks like the black was cheaply painted on.
 
Looks like the 360 is going to be a big disappointment, to me at least. WTF on using the 5 year old OMAP 3 in it and LCD instead of OLED?! That's the same friggin SoC that powered the OG Droid, lol. The G Watch and Gear Live are using a much more current Snapdragon 400 on a much more power efficient and smaller die process, not to mention much faster. Early reports from reviewers are claiming 12-hour battery life and needing to charge at least twice a day.. which would be expected from any OMAP 3 device. This is quite an epic fail from Moto.

I hate to sound like a spec whore, but there had to be a better/newer SoC to use for the price for this watch. 5 years in the tech world is ancient.
 
Well, these are apparently sold out everywhere. Can' believe it. Every BestBuy in my area got them in yesterday, sold out immediately. Motorola.com and Google Play Store sold out in like 30 min after launch. I'm getting really sick of the tiny bloody shipments being released. It wasn't like there were lines around the block for them, from what I hear, but there simply weren't that many for sale per venue. Of course, it seems like half the fucking things are up on eBay for near, or exceeding 2x the price. Gotta love it.
 
Rediculous that they're shipping only two to each Best Buy store. Megalith is probably right. Here's hoping Samsung releases a circular Alpha watch with OLED and at least two day battery and bonus if it works as a stand-alone with SIM slot.
 
mi7chy said:
Rediculous that they're shipping only two to each Best Buy store. Megalith is probably right. Here's hoping Samsung releases a circular Alpha watch with OLED and at least two day battery and bonus if it works as a stand-alone with SIM slot.
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...Two? TWO?! Are you serious? Its that few? Hell, I figured it was maybe 100 or something, but TWO?! Unbelievable. When I called they told me they didn't know when next they'd get any in (and same for other stores in their district), but they could have told me there are only TWO per store. I'm sure I'm about to have an aneurism....

I'm a bit wary of Samsung and though I'd like a OLED, I'd like the thing to at least have full support for Android Wear. Having its own SIM and whatnot likely means more bulk, but you may get your wish as I hear Samsung is going to put Tizen on their new watches instead, in order to have more control over the platform.

Motorola better get their shit together though, especially if the iWatch launches in 2 days. I can't imagine why they'd have such a low stock especially knowing that they only have a few days before they stop being the latest hotness and joe user will start thinking about the iWatch as their most desired smartwatch.
 
Reports on XDA forum hint at Best Buy only receiving two per store and at best two of each color so a total of four.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-360/general

It doesn't help that BB's online live inventory is either fubar'd or employees are hoarding them as they arrive in-store. I'm using Page Monitor Chrome extension to alert when local stores show them in stock, drive down within 10 minutes and they're gone by the time I get there. Customer service counter in one store tells me another store has two in stock but calling that store they claim the inventory is wrong. Either fix it so people don't bother the store or stop hiding them.

Anyhow, what's nice about Android market for the consumer is the fast pace of innovation and competition for our wallet. Moto 360 was announced half a year ago so it's due for a refresh. Google already delivered Android Wear so all smartwatch companies have to do is deliver on design and hardware. Samsung and LG have the advantage since they actually R&D and manufacturer most/all the major components that go into a smartwatch such as OLED display, flash memory, DRAM, SoC, their own fab, etc. Companies that rely on others to source their components are pretty much dead and that includes Apple since they have no direct iOS competitor so their pace of innovation is like two years instead of six months and the iPhone 6 without Sony is uninspiring.
 
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It's kinda hard to champion the current crop of smartwatches given that a lot of them were put out for the "wrong" reasons. The Galaxy Gear was rushed because Samsung was expecting an Apple watch; the Gear 2 and Gear Fit arrived because the Galaxy Gear had a lot of notable flaws (poor battery life, camera in the wristband, and so on). The G Watch and Gear Live were rushed out for the sake of having Android Wear reference devices in time for Google I/O; the G Watch R is an admission that the G Watch is far too plain.

Heck, Samsung has even said that it wants Apple to release a smartwatch to give the industry legitimacy (and, knowing Samsung's history, to offer a source of design ideas).

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/us-electronics-fair-wearables-idUSKBN0H01AF20140905

The Moto 360 seems like the only Android Wear watch on the market that wasn't designed as a knee-jerk reaction to market factors, and it may actually succeed where others have failed so far. Just wish the battery life wasn't as terrible as everyone is reporting.
 
The current generation of hardware and software sucks. Its a glorified tiny phone on your wrist with no actual useful functions for anyone who doesn't need to check their phone every minute.

Wait a few years for actual reliable hw sensors to be built into the watch, with much better integration, and then we'll see. At a bare minimum I want reliable heart rate monitoring which no one can do today without a dedicated chest strap.
 
Maybe I'm experiencing a rapper moment but the curved display Gear S is starting to grow on me and gotta get the matching Note 4. :D

vs09-06_0922s_verge_super_wide.jpg


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Can't believe Motorola is making fun of the misery of their potential customers by linking this video but at least it accurately depicts how people are feeling especially the last part. All Motorola had to do was include OLED to be king of the hill and people would've overlooked the battery life but now the impulse buy has worn off and people have more time to think about buying something else. :confused:

http://www.wearwizard.com/hitler-orders-moto-360-launch-day-hilarious/
 
mi7chy said:
Can't believe Motorola is making fun of the misery of their potential customers by linking this video but at least it accurately depicts how people are feeling especially the last part. All Motorola had to do was include OLED to be king of the hill and people would've overlooked the battery life but now the impulse buy has worn off and people have more time to think about buying something else. :confused:

http://www.wearwizard.com/hitler-orders-moto-360-launch-day-hilarious/
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What evidence do you have that Motorola linked that questionably obnoxious video? That web site is maintained by Wear Wizard which states so on that page.
 
Clearly no doubt the greatest prank on consumers when the product is released half a year after announcement, they ship only two to select launch partner Best Buy stores with a fubar'd inventory system that keeps popping in and out of stock after business hours on a Sunday and to top it off they timed it with Google to remove the refresh button that's been in mobile Chrome for years the day before. Applause you got me.
 
mi7chy said:
Can't believe Motorola is making fun of the misery of their potential customers by linking this video but at least it accurately depicts how people are feeling especially the last part. All Motorola had to do was include OLED to be king of the hill and people would've overlooked the battery life but now the impulse buy has worn off and people have more time to think about buying something else. :confused:

http://www.wearwizard.com/hitler-orders-moto-360-launch-day-hilarious/
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And yet more spin from you. How about the fact that Motorola chose an ancient SoC?

The Bad

  • Terrible performance. The decision to go with an ancient TI OMAP3 instead of a more modern Snapdragon 400 makes the device slow and stuttery.
  • Terrible battery life. That TI chip also sucks down a lot of power. Expect to charge it 2-3 times per day during heavy use.
  • The Bluetooth phone-to-watch connection is unstable and loses connection randomly. Every Android Wear device we've tested does this.
  • The leather strap looks and feels cheap. It's way better than other smartwatches, but that's a very low bar

The Ugly

  • The crushing disappointment after six months of hype.

A better description: After 6 months of hype, the Moto 360 should have been aborted.
 
Don't know why you're parakeeting the issues I already brought up like the wrist band which is changeable and some of the others are just typical ignorance.

TI OMAP3/PowerVR performance is good enough for relaying notifications, simple apps and UI. Integer and memory performance which matters most are competitive with Snapdragon 400.

smartwatch-benchm1ark.001.jpg


Display is the biggest drain of battery life and the reason people want OLED. Battery life isn't comparable to top Android phones but is on par with iPhones.

Bluetooth disconnection is a Cyanogenmod 11 issue that people are reporting is fixed with restoring to stock ROM.
 
mi7chy said:
TI OMAP3/PowerVR performance is good enough for relaying notifications, simple apps and UI. Integer and memory performance which matters most are competitive with Snapdragon 400.
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Uh huh. About that ancient SoC:
Regardless of the specific technical information, the SoC selection completely cripples the Moto 360. The device is slow and the battery life is not up to par. Scrolling performance is nowhere near as smooth as the Snapdragon 400-powered G Watch or Gear Live, and the device often freezes or stutters.
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I can't believe we're back to talking about scrolling performance on Android. HAHAHAHA... but go ahead and buy one anyway. Or is corporate going to buy one for you?
 
KENNYB said:
Uh huh. About that ancient SoC:


I can't believe we're back to talking about scrolling performance on Android. HAHAHAHA... but go ahead and buy one anyway. Or is corporate going to buy one for you?
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Yea the only thing this watch had going for it is the look. I bet Moto had a ton of those SoC's on hand and wanted to use them.

I'm not into wearables and this just doesn't do anything to sway my decision.
 
When I read that it used the OMAP 3 I kind of just lost interest. I worked at TI for a while, the OMAP 3 is OLD and will never be as efficient as the new Snapdragon 400. I will never buy a smart watch I have to worry about charging halfway through the day. The Samsung gear live eeked out 2 days for me, if the Moto 360 is 12-14hrs I'd say they need to go back to the drawing board.
 
No OLED. Slow old SoC used only because Moto had a huge backorder supply. Bad battery life. But because it's Moto uts being hyped to hell, since they are a tech darling. Its almost like an Apple product, terrible specs yet good design.
 
Can't believe Moto made such a blunder for a "signature" product, so hyped. I could get past OLED etc... but OMAP3? That's just horrid planning and execution. I had thought "Well, maybe it really doesn't matter for performance as the threshold should be much lower" but from reports of stuttering this is not the case. Android's bluetooth stack is finicky to begin with - Google needs to devote some devs full time to improve it; come on guys, its a well known standard. Though admittedly when I had an original iPhone and iPhone 3G back when, it was just as difficult to find a bluetooth headset that had clear, proper incoming and outgoing audio, plus good connectivity management...but that was years ago!

I'm very disappointed in Motorola, but I'm glad I didn't go out of my way to chase down a purchase. Here's hoping that by the holidays there will be high quality, boundary pushing Android Wear devices.
 
mi7chy said:
to top it off they timed it with Google to remove the refresh button that's been in mobile Chrome for years the day before. Applause you got me.
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Its still in Chrome but moved to a silly spot under the menu button. I hate it as well, it belongs on the link bar
 
About that battery life...

In iFixit's pictures, the 360's battery is only labeled as 300 mAh, 20 mAh less than advertised. The 300 mAh battery has only 75 percent of the capacity of the 400 mAh battery found in the LG G Watch, and together with the OMAP 3 processor, it's not a great combination for all-day battery life. We've asked Motorola for a comment about the smaller battery in iFixit's 360, but the company hasn't gotten back to us yet. We'll update this post if we hear anything.
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This thing should have been aborted.
 
Really too bad that this thing is DOA. I've been using a Gear Fit since it was released and while it too has it's own issues (spotty heart rate monitor and tracking issues) the thing goes about 4 1/2 days with moderate use. I do not want to be charging a watch every night alongside my phone and I sure as hell don't want something that struggles to get through a single day. BAD Motorola, BAD!!!!
 
KENNYB said:
About that battery life...
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Moto's response:
The typical battery capacity for Moto 360 is 320 mAh and the minimum is 300 mAh. In the mobile industry, sometimes both the minimum and typical capacity is listed on the battery, with the typical capacity quoted as the official battery size. Both figures are included on the batteries of our Moto X, Moto E and Moto G devices. In the case of smaller devices, we aren’t always able to list both figures. For Moto 360 we only had room for one figure and choose to list the minimal capacity of the battery. We see how this can be confusing and we will look into ways to add the typical capacity as well in the future.
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The 360 still looks better than every other smart watch (IMO). I just wish they had used a Snapdragon 400/OLED combo and charged $300/350 for it. Oh well, there's always version 2.0.
 
Ozymandias said:
The 360 still looks better than every other smart watch (IMO). I just wish they had used a Snapdragon 400/OLED combo and charged $300/350 for it. Oh well, there's always version 2.0.
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Exactly my stance on it. I fully expected the 400 and OLED on this watch, considering both LG and Samsung used the 400 and Moto uses OLED on their phones. This was s big disappointment for me.
 
I own this watch, just bought it yesterday after winning 2k at Fallsview Casino. Ha ha, would never have bought it otherwise.

Battery life seems ok so far, not sure why I'd want a ton of horsepower on my wrist and the resolution is 'good enough'. It fashionably tells the time and allows me to keep my HTC One M8 in my pocket most of the time. The effect on my One's battery life has been phenominal.

This thing looks great on my wrist. Very happy with my purchase.
 
snaggletooth said:
I own this watch, just bought it yesterday after winning 2k at Fallsview Casino. Ha ha, would never have bought it otherwise.

Battery life seems ok so far, not sure why I'd want a ton of horsepower on my wrist and the resolution is 'good enough'. It fashionably tells the time and allows me to keep my HTC One M8 in my pocket most of the time. The effect on my One's battery life has been phenominal.

This thing looks great on my wrist. Very happy with my purchase.
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Make sure your watch updates to 4.4W1. It fixes a bug that drained the battery like crazy and led a lot of reviewers to complain about less than a day battery life. After the update, most people seem to get a full day's use out of of the Moto 360.
 
snaggletooth said:
This thing looks great on my wrist. Very happy with my purchase.
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Lucky you found one. I still can't find one to buy but the local Best Buy did get two demos in each color. One thing is for sure is it's the most premium looking watch on the market by far especially the chrome one and for the majority the design counts for more than 50% of the buying decision. Been following the updates and people seem happy with the battery life with the firmware update and after a few full discharge/recharge cycles.

In comparison, the Apple iWash is more of a fitness gimmick. It's too big and bulky to wear on a daily basis and doesn't have built-in GPS like my Garmin 310XT and the clumsy etch-a-sketch knob for input is a poor design decision.
 
mi7chy said:
Lucky you found one. I still can't find one to buy but the local Best Buy did get two demos in each color. One thing is for sure is it's the most premium looking watch on the market by far especially the chrome one and for the majority the design counts for more than 50% of the buying decision. Been following the updates and people seem happy with the battery life with the firmware update and after a few full discharge/recharge cycles.

In comparison, the Apple iWash is more of a fitness gimmick. It's too big and bulky to wear on a daily basis and doesn't have built-in GPS like my Garmin 310XT and the clumsy etch-a-sketch knob for input is a poor design decision.
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None of these watches have anything the other dont. The Moto 360 is just round. The LG G Watch R is probably the best one considering it has everything the 360 does but also has the 400 and OLED. Its also round and looks better IMHO. Im glad the 360 disappointed, only made me ok with waiting for the G Watch R
 
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