Moto 360 2nd gen
Lily Prasuethsut thinks Moto’s latest smartwatch is a thing of beauty, but is it more than just a pretty face?
The first Moto 360 has been one of the most popular – if not the most popular – smartwatches on the market. It’s the top Android Wear watch that can go head to head with the Apple Watch, and then some. It definitely has annoyances – like its flat tire-looking display and middling battery life – but in terms of design, comfort and overall functionality, the watch has done well.
The new Moto 360 screen has a higher pixel density than last year’s version, which extends to all the new size variations. The 46mm model is 1.56-inches has a 360x330 resolution and 233ppi. The 42mm version is 1.37-inches, has a resolution of 360x325 and a ppi of 263. These come with either a 22mm or 20mm band respectively and are available in a range of designs – and without doubt it’s the most comfortable smartwatch that we’ve worn.
Where the first Moto was a bit slow and had some performance issues, the Moto 360 2 has surpassed it. The biggest change comes with the processor. It’s now a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU and an Adreno 305 450MHz GPU.
It’s clearly faster and more responsive, comes with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and is waterproof with an IP67 rating, or up to one meter submerged for 30 minutes. The operating system is Android Wear 5.1.1 out of the box, and notification and information cards pop up vertically from the bottom of the screen.
You can flick through the available cards, and swiping from left to right will remove a card from the list. Moving your finger in the opposite direction will take you to more options. With the new OS, you can even flick your wrist to scroll through without having to lift a finger.
Swiping left over the watch face’s edge will take you to the apps drawer. Your most recent app will be at the top of the scrolling list. Swiping left again brings you to a contacts page from which you can send and read messages. Another swipe in that direction takes you to Google-specific commands, like taking notes or vocalising reminders and setting alarms. You can also draw out emojis to save or send out via text or email.
Smart and stylish
There’s Wi-Fi connectivity from the getgo, emoji messages, calls from the watch. Though, unlike Apple Watch, which can accept calls right on the watch, Moto 360 directs calls made and received to your phone.
All important battery life is at least a day. Using it both with an iPhone and Samsung Galaxy it managed a day and a half use, extending to two days with more sparing use. Charge time takes about 35 minutes on the Qi stand, or a bit closer to 45 if it’s completely dead as a doornail.
The new Moto 360 certainly wins as the best-looking smartwatch that came out in 2015. It’s also the most comfortable we’ve slapped on our wrists since our days of wearing analog watches. The compatibility is a sore point for iPhone owners since they won’t be able to fully use the Moto 360’s features, the watch is still primarily a notification machine for iPhone users, but who cares about those guys, right?
On Android phones, the 360 does a decent job as a secondary tech gadget and the new Moto 360 is as stylish as you can get for a wearable. Features Performance Ease of use Value