Moto 360 (1st generation)

(Redirected from Motorola Moto 360)

The Moto 360 is an Android Wear-based smartwatch announced by Motorola Mobility in 2014.[2] It was announced on March 18, 2014 [3] and was released on September 5, 2014 in the US[4] along with new models of the Moto X and the Moto G.

Moto 360
DeveloperMotorola Mobility
TypeSmartwatch
Release dateSeptember 5, 2014 (2014-09-05)
Operating systemWear OS
System on a chipTI OMAP 3
CPU1 GHz Cortex A8
Memory512 MB LPDDR
StorageGB
Display1.56 in (40 mm) LCD with RGB matrix 320×290 pixels (205 ppi)
Corning Gorilla Glass 3
InputCapacitive touch
Pedometer (9-axis sensor)
Optical heart rate monitor
Ambient light sensor
Dual microphones
ConnectivityBluetooth 4.0 Wi-Fi[1]
Power320 mAh
All day (mixed use)
wireless Qi charging
Online servicesGoogle Play, Google Now
Dimensions46mm diameter by 11.5mm height
Mass49 g (1.7 oz)
SuccessorMoto 360 (2nd generation)
WebsiteMoto 360

Hardware and design edit

The Moto 360's form factor is based on the circular design of traditional watches, supporting a 40mm (1.5 in) viewing diameter and circular capacitive touch display. The case is stainless steel and available in different finishes. Removable wrist bands are available in metal and natural leather.[5] The watch is water resistant and has only a single physical button.

The watch has an all day battery, and rather than needing to be plugged in, it charges wirelessly by being placed on an included cradle.[6][7] Internally [8] it has dual microphones for voice recognition and noise rejection and a vibration motor allowing tactile feedback. An ambient light sensor optimizes screen brightness and allows gesture controls such as blanking the screen by placing one's hand over it. Bluetooth 4.0 is included for connectivity and driving wireless headphones. In the June 2015 release notes, Motorola announced Wi-Fi support for the device, such that it could be used out of Bluetooth range. A heart-rate sensor and 9-axis accelerometer support health and activity monitoring. It has IP67 certification for dust resistance and fresh water resistance rated at 30-minutes at 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) depth.

Software edit

The Moto 360 runs Android Wear, Google's Android-based platform specifically designed for wearable devices. The 360 currently runs Android Marshmallow and pairs with any phone running Android 4.3 or higher and any iPhone running IOS 8 or higher. Its software displays notifications from paired phones. It uses paired phones to enable interactive features such as Google Now cards, search, navigation, playing music, and integration with apps such as fitness, EverNote, and others.[9]

Reception edit

Ars Technica criticized the "terrible" battery life and performance, blaming it on the outdated SoC (system-on-chip) used in the Moto 360: "Motorola inexplicably chose an ancient 1GHz single-core Texas Instruments OMAP 3".[10] In a review for Engadget, Jon Fingas wrote, "The interface isn't that great at surfacing the information I need at the time I need it, for that matter. Spotify's Android Wear card always showed up on cue, but Sonos' controls appeared inconsistently even when there was music playing. And the watch frequently defaulted to showing apps that weren't really relevant to the situation at hand; no, I don't need to check out my fitness goals in the middle of the workday. Google may be right that watches are primarily about receiving passive streams of information, but that doesn't excuse doing a poor job when I want to be more active." He concluded, "Even with those quirks in mind, it's pretty clear the Moto 360 has turned a corner in half a year's time. It's no longer the underdeveloped novelty that it was on launch, and it's now my pick of the current Android Wear crop. True, it doesn't have the G Watch R's true circular display, the ZenWatch's custom software or the Sony Smartwatch 3's GPS, but I'd say of the three, it strikes the best balance between looks, functionality and price."[11]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Motorola Support - Find Answers | Motorola Mobility, Inc".
  2. ^ "Moto 360". Motorola Official Site. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Motorola unveils Android-powered Moto 360". CNET News. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Moto 360 officially launched by Motorola". GadgetzArena. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  5. ^ "moto 360, moto maker, moto360, round android watch, smartwatch, android wear, customize smartwatch, watch band". SmartWatch Crunch. Archived from the original on 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
  6. ^ C'Verty, Reema. "Moto 360 vs LG G Watch vs Samsung Gear Live Comparison". The Rem. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  7. ^ Stien, Scott. "Moto 360, one of the first Android Wear smartwatches, coming in July (hands-on)". Cnet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  8. ^ Teardown Motorola Moto 360
  9. ^ "Android Wear". Android.com/wear. Google. Retrieved 2015-03-23.
  10. ^ Amadeo, Rob (2014-09-07). "Moto 360 review—Beautiful outside, ugly inside". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  11. ^ Fingas, Jon (29 March 2015). "Life with the Moto 360: has Motorola's smartwatch turned a corner?". Engadget. United States. Retrieved 7 April 2015.

External links edit