Motorola Moto 360 First Look: The Only Android Wear Which is Metal and Premium

By Anuj Bhatia

| Published: Monday, September 8, 2014, 13:33 [IST]

Rating:

3.5/5

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PROS

Stunning Design
Round Display
Wireless charging support

CONS

Poor Battery Life
Half-baked Android Wear
Water resistant, but not water proof

<div class="clear"></div><div class="review-content-navigation"><div class="review-content-pag"><select class="review-content-pagination-selbox" name="reviewSelect" id="reviewSelect" onchange="if (this.value) window.location.href=this.value" ><option value="/mobile/motorola-moto-360-first-look-the-only-android-wear-which-is-metal-and-premium-019313.html" selected="selected">PAGE 1 OF 3: Form Factor & Operating System</option><option value="/mobile/motorola-moto-360-first-look-the-only-android-wear-which-is-metal-and-premium-2-019314.html">PAGE 2 OF 3: Processor & Benchmark</option><option value="/mobile/motorola-moto-360-first-look-the-only-android-wear-which-is-metal-and-premium-3-019315.html">PAGE 3 OF 3: Battery Life & Verdict</option></select></div></div>

Modern timepieces, such as intelligent watches have started appealing in large numbers, and some people believe that those wearables may not replace traditional watches. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In recent months, a hot debate about the arrival of wearable devices has triggered. Admittedly, a Rolex watch has its special values and meanings. At the same time, we are seeing a futuristic watch such as the Motorola Moto 360 that is made from premium materials.

It's been a couple of months when we first got to know about the Moto 360. The square shaped LG G Watch looked childish compared to the Moto 360. Priced at $249 or about Rs. 15,000, this Android Wear-powered little monster joins a crowded market, as Samsung, Asus and LG have also announced their own intelligent watch running the same software.

If latest reports are anything to go by, the new Moto 360 sold out within an hour of its launch. Even at $249 or Rs. 15,000, it could well end up being the best selling smartwatch running Google's Android Wear. We went hands-on with the Moto 360. Here's our first impression.

Motorola Moto 360 - Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

After months of wait Motorola has finally launched the Moto 360. The new timepiece from the house of Motorola feels so epic on your wrist. Unlike the Samsung Gear Live, the Moto 360 has a simple round face with one physical (actually, power button) on the side.

The Moto 360 resembles close to a classic watch. But the point to be noted here is that how designers over at Motorola blended the design of a classic watch with modern day sensibilities. The watch case, for that matter, is made out of solid steel, giving it a sophisticated look. We were initially expecting it to be quite heavy, but it's surprisingly light. But the Moto 360 is big. Also, the Moto 360 is IP67 certified, just like the LG G Watch R.

The most prominent feature of the Moto 360 is the circular display. The 1.56-inch screen supports a resolution of 320 x 290-pixels. The display isn't quite sharp. Notably, we found the screen highly reflective, too. Additionally, there's black bar on the bottom of the display, so the Moto 360's screen is not fully round.

Like the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch, the Moto 360 runs on the Android Wear platform. Our demo was limited when Motorola showcased the device in a Delhi-based event. Based on our experience, the Android Wear is not intuitive at all.

It's confusing at first sight, and a normal layman would need to devote ample number of hours just to get familiar. All together, basic menus and card-based swipe notifications worked well in our brief testing.

As usual, you'll be able to get Google maps, so search Google, make calls and receive notifications. The Moto 360 works well with all handsets running on Android 4.3 or above. Just for the reminder, users won't be able to connect the Moto 360 smartwatch with iPhones.

The Moto 360 come embedded with a heart rate monitor. The heart monitor seemed to work really well. It also dons a pedometer as well. There's also included an activity tracking app, so that you work towards health and fitness goals.