Introduction
Motorola has gone through lot of struggle and fighting with giants in technology and finally could manage to not only survive but also make a name in the industry of smartphones and such devices. People know the names of big giants like Samsung and Apple but they really do not know the back ground success story of Motorola in perfecting the Android that is used even partially in space technology. People also do not know how Motorola launched DROID but it brought the company in the spot light again.
The very though world of business competition has once again pushed Motorola slightly back but we must not forget the achievement of Motorola in DROID and then later Motorola RAZR. This is the story of the past but not very far away; just about two decades back. Now lets immediately jump to the present and see the scenario of the present time when after the smartphones this is the time of smartwatches. Motorola came out with the very brilliant product Motorola Moto 360. It was announced and introduced in Google I/O conference. Later the rivals like Samsung came out with Gear Live and LG came out with G Watch but Moto 360 remains the focus on the media.
Make
So far the concept of smartwatches created and image of something rectangular or square in shape. Samsung made smartwatches in square shape but at the bottom have a curvature fitting the contour of the wrist. The LG introduce G Watch in a cheap plastic and very unaesthetic shape. Motorola thought of something realistic and made Moto 360 smartwatch actually in shape of a watch that is round and looks like a watch. While wearing on the wrist looks like a real watch rather than an electronic device, thus took a winning edge over the rivals in design of their smartwatch. It is real combination of tradition and modern technology which caused this beautiful product. While looking at it one feels comfortable as a by looking on something traditional. It is elegant iconic and luxurious. Certainly the designers took pleasure in designing this beautiful thing and gave importance to tradition over technology.
Display
It has a round display which is attractive and unique. Moto 360 has Android as the operating system. It has 1.56 inches LCD display having 320 x290 resolutions. It has the protection of Gorilla Glass 3which ensures its safety under rough conditions. Compare with others it is not have high resolutions then Samsung Gear Live or LG G Watch. Despite this lacking feature we are still fascinated by its round look. When we have a closer look we see sufficient blank space which is not really stuffed with hardware and it only gives a look of flatness. The many weak features in the display and yet we are not distracted by them and its charm in round shape.
The LCD technology gives it’s the ability of better outdoor use and it can perform well in the direct sun light. Samsung has used AMOLED screen in Samsung Gear Live which in comparison to Moto 360 does not perform well. Moto has cleverly made use of viewing angles that further improved the visibility if the screen. Colors are also managed skill fully and by producing vibrant tones create a lively effect. Moto 360 has light sensor installed in it which helps the screen to adjust itself according to the light conditions automatically. This feature is missing in other rival smartwatches like Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch. Here it is clearly far ahead of them.
Although Moto 360 has less pixel density yet it is more effective in its round shape under all conditions applied. When we have the casual look and see the time on it we find nothing unusual but on closer look we see the pixels get and here we feel it should have had more pixel density to win the competition totally. We have to frequently tap and swipe on the screen leaving fingerprint marks on it but thanks to Gorilla Glass 3 we can easily wipe it clean just by wiping it against our shirt.
Software and Interface
The Android wear does not give us any different experience it is like any other device using Android. As an added advantage Moto 360 has two heart rates tracking apps on its that always keeps us active to remain healthy. Google’s Android watch has yet to travel a lot to archive some standard and it is still in want of many accomplishments. It is dependent on third party apps.
Moto 360 is different from others. The first and the foremost is the very look which is round like a conventional watch. The UI and apps scale befitting this shape and size and we find nothing odd on this. In a short time we get use to it and start operating it very conveniently. Like any Android wear watches Moto 360 also is operated by finer gestures and taps to operate the user interface. Swiping right and left up and down takes us to different apps and the long press on the face of the watch brings forth the new apps to choose from. If we cover the watch with our palm it instantly turns the display off and takes it to standby mode. The other difference is the Moto 360 comes with two pre installed apps for heart rate sensor. It shows the result in shape of the needle moving up and down giving a realistic representation rather than the showing digits on the Google Fit app on the Google Android watch.
It automatically records our pulse reading every 30 minutes and stores it in its database where from you can see it on weekly basis to see the general trend of our fitness.
Processor and Memory
It compares well with the rivals well in processor and memory though not exactly the same. This small little thing is packed up with a TI OMAP 3 processor along with 512 MB RAM which makes it perform smoothly. Comparing it with others like Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch are silkier and smooth which Moto 360 is not but this smartwatch performed all the functions as well and the user really does not find any difference. Like other smartwatches, Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch, Moto 360 is also pre installed 4 GB memory which is basically consume by the system itself.
Connectivity and Multimedia
Through Bluetooth 4.0LE it has connectivity with other Android power smartphones at a distance of 25ft indoor as the Gear Live has. To activate this connectivity we have to download the Android wear app form the Google Play store. It can play songs for you and in multimedia that it all it has.
Calls
It is small little thing and does not perform as perfectly to act a smartphone completely. It gives you the indication of incoming call and gives you the option to receive or reject it. It does not have its own in built speaker therefore it has to be connected with a smartphone to attend or make a call. Though it has its own microphone but it cannot be used for receiving a call.
Battery
It is a watch and we want it a live from the clock and do not want to see it shut down. It should take us round the clock with its live screen. Moto 360 has 320mAh battery well enough for 24 hours like the other Android wear smartwatches. It depends how you set it up or use it and you can easily run it 24 hours without recharging. Therefore there is nothing very special about Moto 360 as far the battery is concern. It delivers the same result as the others. You can set the screen on the ambient screen feature to off and it turn the display off when it is not in use.
This application helps save the battery and the watch remains alive for 24 hours without any worry to recharge during your working hours and you are not disturbed by any interruption watch going off. Once it passing the 12 hours mark it turns on to battery saving mode. It is in material whether Moto 360 display is on or off it still looks beautiful and graceful.
Moto 360 as the wireless charging feature and you can dock it to the nearest point on your bed side. It can be an alarm clock which can serve the dual purpose of seeing the time and the charging status of the smartwatch. The other smartwatches like Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch has the cables connected to them while charging. This way Moto 360 has the upper edge.
Bottom Line
Moto 360 has very smartly designed this smartwatch and made our choice easy. Its round traditional design is really something that looks beautiful on our wrist. The Moto 360 design has surpassed all others and dominated the market just by its round shape. It is a beautiful product in industrial design. Moto 360 has stuffed heart rate sensor, wireless charging, ambient light sensor, dual microphone and luxuries looking round display.
It adheres to principle of Google Wear. Now it depends how well Moto 360 performs on this platform. It is slightly costlier than others. You need to spend $249.99 for the basic model with leather band. Samsung Gear Live has a price of $200 and LG G Watch bears a price tag of $230. It is for the luxurious design that you would not mind spending extra $50 for the graceful look of Moto 360.