Moto 360 Review

Moto+360+Review

Soren Rodriguez, Science/Technology Editor

There was an age when watches were used for time. As a substitute for clocks, watches provided an economical and stylish solution to an age-old problem: knowing the time anytime, anywhere.  But times have changed, and watches have historically refused to adapt. Their simplicity evolved into superfluity; their functionality replaced by the widespread adoption of smartphones. As a result, watches have evolved into a vanity item akin to earrings and necklaces. They don’t do too much other than make a statement.

But my watch talks to me. I talk back to it, too. It knows my heart rate, how far I’ve walked, and where I live. It’s called the Moto 360, and this is my watch.

When Motorola initially revealed the Moto 360 it was touted as the first truly circular smart watch, which is both true and false. True in the sense that traditional smart watches have adopted a particular square aesthetic and Motorola is the first to deviate from that ugly trend. False in the sense that the Moto 360 isn’t exactly round, but more on that later.

To summarize, the Moto 360 has two primary functions: to show your notifications from your Android device, and to display the time (it is a watch, after all). The former requires that you own an Android device (running at least Android 4.3 or higher) as the watch works in tandem with it. Without that, the Moto 360 devolves into a timepiece—an elegant one at that.

I own the silver metallic band version of the Moto 360 and it exudes style. Complementing the watch’s metallic base, the band feels light and comfortable on the wrist. While sacrificing the adjustable presets of the leather band version, the luster and increased width of the metallic band look adds a certain continuity to the stark thickness of the watch.

On the surface, the Moto 360 looks massive. While about the size of a standard G-Shock, the Moto 360’s metallic aesthetic gives a false impression of increased weight. Thankfully, though, I usually forget it’s on my wrist entirely. The weight and cumbersome nature inherent to most smart watches is effectively nonexistent with the Moto 360. It’s there when you need it and stays away when you don’t. There were times when the sheer width of the device got the best of me and I (accidentally) scratched the screen a bit. It is a thick device in the end, so expect for it to hit surfaces from time-to-time.

Now to the screen. Oh, that beautiful, almost circular display. It’s the definitive feature of the Moto 360; it’s in the name. Stretching from curve to curve, the screen isn’t necessarily high-resolution (at about 205ppi), but it holds sound for such a small device. While a feat of engineering, the watch’s circular display is cut off by a small, dark path at the lower portion of the smart watch. It’s hardly noticeable in day-to-day use, but it can be off-putting at first glance—especially when considering the watch’s otherwise contiguous esthetic.

To the internals, the Moto 360 is powered by a TI OMAP Processor, a 320 mAH battery, and 4GB of internal storage (a curious statistic: the Moto 360 has the same amount of RAM as the Xbox 360 at 512MB). Performance is strong on the Moto 360 with few applications stuttering or hanging. The only times when the watch truly struggled was when I received copious amounts of notifications over a time-frame (say, within ten seconds), but these instances were isolated. Battery life, however, is mixed. With limited use, I was able to squeeze out a full day of use. With heavy usage, I was lucky to get above 12 hours. For the average consumer, the former is more indicative of typical use, but don’t expect to go more than a day without charging.

Running a near-stock version of Android Wear (with the addition of a few Motorola specific applications), the Moto 360 differs little from other smart watches on the software front. You can still check your notifications, dictate texts or driving directions through Google Voice, and derive your daily steps and heart rate, but there is little differentiating the Moto 360 from the crowd which is where the core of its problems lie. Running on software that is unquestionably built for square watches, some applications just don’t fit the dimensions of the watch, leading them to be cut off at awkward angles. Applications are scarce with the watch limited to basic, ancillary functions that can all be done on your phone. To be blunt, the Moto 360 saves you from taking your phone out of your pocket, temporarily.

So, is the Moto 360 worth it for the average consumer? No; while aesthetically and mechanically sublime, the Moto 360 does not provide enough functionality or battery life to justify its $250 price-point. But for those who have an Android device, have some disposable income, and are in the market for an elegant timepiece, the Moto 360 will certainly suffice. It has for me, and I can’t stop talking to it.