A good amount has changed since the influx of Android Wear smart watches last year. Moto 360 came out with one of the first circular watches while everyone else was gearing towards the “geek” look with square shapes and so forth. Since then Moto 360 looks like it has been the trend setter and everyone is playing catch up. I myself opted for the LG G Watch R last year and later found myself yearning for a 360 even with that “flat tire” that has been an eyesore for me.
So this year has the 2nd generation of the Moto 360 changed much and is it still the best tech watch to rock on the wrist?
What I Like
Customization
Something that has stood out for me with Motorola over the past few years is MotoMaker. You make your phone look how you want it down to the buttons and no one would have the same design. This time around Motorola brought this to their Moto 360 2nd Gen models. I got a chance thanks to Motorola to create my own version or vision of how I felt the 360 should look like and it came out better than expected. I used a black Metal Band, Black casing, and Gold Micro Knurl on top of a 46MM styling. The results were phenomenal and I was every impressed. Since I have gotten my Moto 360 I have run into about 4-5 of them and none look the same.
Quality
The craftsmanship on the Moto 360 is top-notch. The Gold Micro Knurl feels good to the touch and shines bright in the light. The casing and metal bands itself has a great deal of weight and feels like something you expect out of a genuine designed watch. I have taken a look and feel of my colleague’s watch as well with the leather band and you can see the time that was put into creating these smartwatches. Hats off to Motorola in that department.
Hardware
At first glance you might think its the same 360 from last year but Motorola made some strives. They decided to have the watch’s mounts(lugs in watchmaker terms) visible and more accessible rather than underneath like the 2014 model. It makes for easier customization and band swapping with your 360 then before. It also makes the watch look slightly better as it wraps around the wrist. Battery life has gotten better on the 360 and with the Always On face and synced to Bluetooth I was able to get about a day and a half with about 20% back left. Of course most will charge their watches nightly but it’s something to look at. Its one of the fastest smartwatches I have dealt with too thanks to the Snapdragon 400 processor. Zipping through apps and changing faces has been mostly good with minimal issues.
What I Don’t Like
The “Shelf” aka Flat Tire
No matter how you spin it, what excuse you give it’s there at the bottom of the screen. What I’m referring to is the “shelf” or what some call the “flat tire”. It was on the first generation of the Moto 360 so we expect by the 2nd time around it wouldn’t be there but it has returned. It was actually the reason I opted out of the Moto 360 last year and grabbed the LG G Watch R. This time around using it though it doesn’t bother me as much especially if I have a black background but it’s there. Motorola’s defense is it holds the sensors, chipsets and so forth there and makes the device in general thinner. I will say the 360’s sensors are pretty great though so I can tolerate this time but next time… C’mon Moto.
Fitness Options
They don’t seem to work as good as I expected or what I thought I could get out of it. Seems to count a crazy amount of steps and sometimes when I’m not even moving. Maybe I need to make it a bit tighter but it’s highly inaccurate. But it doesn’t bother me too much as fitness isn’t the reason I picked up a Moto 360. There is the Moto 360 Sport on the way though so maybe it will tackle this feat better.
Verdict
While Motorola hasn’t revolutionized the smart watch world they have refreshed the Moto 360 line. Providing options for men and women plus full on customization helps the 360 stand out from other smartwatches and no two will look the same. Of course the “Shelf” is still there and while it’s not as cumbersome its still annoying and needs to be gone by the 3rd iteration of the Moto 360. Battery life has vastly improved and one of the speedier Android Wear devices on the market. Tied in with Motorola have apps adapted for the Moto 360 makes it a winner. Before you think about other Android Wear devices you should definitely give the Moto 360 some time on your wrist.
