# Moto 360 Android Wear Watch Impressions and Extended Review



## watchvaultnyc

So, my Moto 360 just arrived. I'm planning to do a long-term review on this, and update this thread as developments occur. But first some ground rules on replies:

Please avoid uninformed, reflexive, troll comments. That's it.









*First 5 minutes:*

Since this is my first experience with smartwatches, the first impressions are pretty superficial.

Build Quality:

- It_ looks _like a watch, which I think is it's first and foremost job on your wrist if it wants to be accepted as nothing out of the ordinary. Even as a person who is pretty open minded about these things, I do not want something that looks like a computer on my wrist

- It feels like a toy. The stainless steel casing and thick leather strap looks heavy, but in your hand the watch head is incredibly light and the strap has the apparent density of styrofoam. It has the overall density maybe 3/4th of that of a G-shock. That being said, it only needs to look the part to someone watching your wrist. You already know its not a real watch (in the traditional sense)

- The "crown" is a disappointment. There is a sort of brass ring around the crown which is only used as a push-button. It would have been awesome as a scroll wheel.

- It wears smaller than it looks. Hidden lugs, small crown and no crown guards make it all screen. It looks smaller on my wrist than an Omega SMP. For WIS, this is just at bit larger than an average-sized sport watch.

- Charging is great. Wireless QI charger means you just plop it on the charger. Charges to 100% within an hour. No exposed electrical contact points

Functionality:

- The card-based UI will take getting used to

- Notifications vibrate loud and clear on your wrist.

- There is some degree of customizability with regards to faces and notifications. Not bad now, but will obviously get better with time.

- The most significant issue of this watch is charging. It's meant to be charged daily (or more often) and the only way this watch gets charged is on it's wireless cradle, which for most of us means home. If the watch runs out of juice, it's dead weight on your wrist until you get home. Basically impractical for people who travel, or for people who depend on the stuff smartwatches provide.

- Why does this thing not have more physical controls? A rotating bezel, chrono-style pushers, and crown that acts like a scroll wheel are no-brainer additions.


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## little big feather

Thanks for the info. knowledge is always appreciated....:-!


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## rfortson

Looking forward to more reports. This is the one that interests me the most.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk


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## watchvaultnyc

*First 5 Hours

Aesthetics:

- *does having a "traditional" analog watch face really matter? This is because unless you specify otherwise, the screen blanks out unless you touch the screen, or you raise and tilt your arm (after which the watch automatically lights up for a while, a power-saving feature). So if you're not looking at it, its really just a blank black screen, no casual observer will see a clock face.
*
- *If the Moto 360 was made out of stainless steel as it claims then it must be of the rolled or stamped type, as it is really, really light. Inside the case there is likely no metal parts, just circuit boards and a light battery. Even the tang and buckle is extremely light.

- The complaint that it has a "flat tire" - the area at the extreme bottom where there is no touch screen - is no big deal. After a few hours, you will no longer notice that it's there. Especially with a black watch face.

*Functionality:

*- The card-based UI is easy once you get used to it. Swipe up/down to scroll and left/right for menu options, swipe left at leftmost position to go back up the menu tree.

- After 5 hours (3 of which were driving time), the watch is down to 50% battery. Which means it loses 10%/hour under normal use. I have heard some reports that repeated charging "seasons" the battery and it works longer after a few weeks. Will need to keep an eye on this. IMO a smartwatch needs to last at least 16 hours of heavy use

- As of now, the best use I can put to this watch is that is better than using a phone is while driving. I can start calls, control music, and read notifications without much distraction.

- The biggest issue that affects functionality is that of app support (or lack thereof). Of particular notice:

-- Facebook has support for voice dictation for it's instant messenger. None of my other IM apps have voice support
-- If you have an email notification, you have to open your phone to read the email. Painful!
-- Google Keep works, which means your grocery list is available to you without pulling out your phone.
-- Strava can start a run or a bike ride from the wrist
-- Having a heart rate monitor taking your pulse at regular intervals is potentially very useful

- Android Wear does not have an app drawer, which means you can invoke apps only by using Google Now (voice commands), unless you download an "app drawer" app. Life becomes much easier with it.

- There is no speaker. So this can't be used as a speakerphone. However, one of the next software update allows it to connect directly to a bluetooth headset without going through the phone. Lots of possibilities here, including turn-by-turn directions, or having the phone read your emails aloud.

More updates after the 24 hour mark.


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## Ottovonn

Thanks for the in depth review. I tried the Moto on a while ago. Very light watch as you said. My Damasko felt heavier. Here's a reference shot with my Damasko DA37.


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## watchvaultnyc

*24 hour report:*

Dear Motorola Mobility re: my Moto 360: you suck!

- First, the screen suffers columns upon columns of dead pixels all at the same time after 6 hours of operation to the point of _unusability_.

- Second, you give me a "customer support" agent "Herberth" with a heavy Mexican accent who _sounds like his mouth is full of taffy while talking underwater _(an issue completely separate from his accent).

- Third, you ask me to identify a number hidden in what amounts to the armpit of the watch (between the hidden lugs), that is _only visible with a 30x loupe_? (Disregarding the fact that I actually had one), how can you expect a regular customer to have one of those?









Look at that screen, burn in and vertical lines of dead pixels in less than a day. It looks like one of those CRT screens from back in the 80s!

Motorola is currently shipping me a replacement as I may have just been unlucky and received a bad unit. I shall withhold judgement on the smartwatch, but dang customer service need to pay for better quality agents!


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## yourdudeness080

Thank you for the information, To me, it just helped me to avoid smartwatches at all cost.


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## watchvaultnyc

*48 Hour Report:*

Dear Moto 360: despite your busted screen, I'm still wearing you outside the house. 2 days in, I realize that I did not have to pull out my phone the entire time I was outside the house. I can check what time the bank closes, reply to text messages, check my email notifications (but not reply), check the weather and traffic, even place a call from just the watch screen.

Right now you're useful enough to me that I will probably want to wear you during the work day. My fashion watches (Swatch, etc) are certainly doomed. My nice watches, not so much.


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## Willieboy

broudie said:


> *24 hour report:*
> 
> Dear Motorola Mobility re: my Moto 360: you suck!
> 
> - First, the screen suffers columns upon columns of dead pixels all at the same time after 6 hours of operation to the point of _unusability_.
> 
> - Second, you give me a "customer support" agent "Herberth" with a heavy Mexican accent who _sounds like his mouth is full of taffy while talking underwater _(an issue completely separate from his accent).
> 
> - Third, you ask me to identify a number hidden in what amounts to the armpit of the watch (between the hidden lugs), that is _only visible with a 30x loupe_? (Disregarding the fact that I actually had one), how can you expect a regular customer to have one of those?
> 
> View attachment 1651945
> 
> 
> Look at that screen, burn in and vertical lines of dead pixels in less than a day. It looks like one of those CRT screens from back in the 80s!
> 
> Motorola is currently shipping me a replacement as I may have just been unlucky and received a bad unit. I shall withhold judgement on the smartwatch, but dang customer service need to pay for better quality agents!


That's really too bad. That watch face problem is inexcusable. Hopefully the replacement will be better.

Regarding customer service people, they seem to get dumber and dumber by the day. If the call isn't outsourced to someone who speaks a different language, it's handled domestically by some barely literate nit wit who has to go axe his/her supervisor because he/she doesn't know the answer to your question, or any question for that matter.


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## BarracksSi

broudie said:


> 2 days in, I realize that I did not have to pull out my phone the entire time I was outside the house. I can check what time the bank closes, reply to text messages, check my email notifications (but not reply), check the weather and traffic, even place a call from just the watch screen.
> 
> Right now you're useful enough to me that I will probably want to wear you during the work day. My fashion watches (Swatch, etc) are certainly doomed. My nice watches, not so much.


This is what I'm expecting of the entire smartwatch category. If I can just leave my phone in my pocket, gym bag, or backpack, that's a win.


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## watchvaultnyc

*Start of Day 3 Report:

*- did some evening walking and finally made use of the pedometer. Thought "awesome lume" (LCD screen), "this is quartz?" (the second hand was ticking in 1-second increments)

- while cooking, was able to get some conversions without pulling out my phone ie. "how many cups in 14 oz?" which was very useful when you're handling raw meat

- the battery life improved greatly over the last 2 days. Last night I wore it to sleep so it could take my resting heart rate in the morning. After 24 hours the battery was still at 30%. The battery now outlasts my mobile phone.

- since it has a high profile, I bang it a lot on door frames, etc. But I don't mind as much as I would have with my mechanicals. It only needs to last for 1-2 years!

- the strap has a fatal flaw, it absorbs liquids. When I washed my hands the water splashed made splotches on the leather. I imagine cooking oil splatters will deface the strap in no time. And sweat? I shudder to think of the smell in the next couple of months. My understanding is that this uses regular 22mm straps, but the lugs are hidden. I will try to experiment a bit before the replacement arrives.

Tried calling Motorola service to follow up on my replacement and was hoping not to get the same guy with an unintelligible Mexican accent. I got half my wish - it was _another_ guy with an unintelligible mexican accent. Seems like the whole call center was moved to Mexico.


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## watchvaultnyc

*Day 4 Report:*

It's a wonder how you become totally used to something totally new only after a few days:

- I've become completely dependent on the Moto 360 now for the small transactions that I usually do on the phone. All checking of notifications are now done on the watch vs the phone. I'm starting to Google from the watch now. Phone calls are initiated and answered from the watch. I figure that the number of times I actually handle my phone is now down 50-75%, which is an amazing boon.

- The thought that "it has to look like a watch" has grown less and less, and going towards "it has to be useful". I've stopped using the analog clock lock-screen (which is very nice) because I can't glance at the time as fast as I would do on a mechanical watch as the screen needs a fraction of a second to light up. So I've now changed the lock screen display to a digital clock, which is larger, more visible and lets me read the time quicker. The appearance of a "real" watch is now solely for the benefit of people who are looking at my wrist.

The replacement watch has not arrived yet. Getting a bit impatient.


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## rationaltime

Thank you for the report of your first hand experience.

Am I interpreting the effect correctly? If you use an analog time display
app, to save power the screen turns off the screen light. In contrast
if you use a digital time display app the time is constantly visible
without the screen light?


Thanks,
rationaltime


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## shnjb

wow that looks pretty horrible...


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## watchvaultnyc

rationaltime said:


> Thank you for the report of your first hand experience.
> 
> Am I interpreting the effect correctly? If you use an analog time display
> app, to save power the screen turns off the screen light. In contrast
> if you use a digital time display app the time is constantly visible
> without the screen light?
> 
> Thanks,
> rationaltime


The screen goes out whether it's analog or digital. However, you can read the time when it's digital a bit faster than when it's analog. This sort of counteracts the delay between raising your wrist and the watch lighting up to show the time.


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## watchvaultnyc

*Day 5 Report:*

- Discovered the watch also acts as a remote trigger for your phone's camera. I can now take awesome selfies 

- For the first time, used the watch for navigation. Could be better, but its a great start

- Definitely pull the phone out less now since I've been able to get notifications from the watch. Definitely makes my driving safer as I can now keep the phone in my pocket vs mounting it.

- Battery is good enough now that I can wear the watch to sleep. Taking the phone off first thing in the morning and charging it. Between waking up, getting coffee, reading the morning email and taking a shower (about 1hr), the watch has already charged.

- On the downside, keeping bluetooth on all day definitely eats my phone's battery. No longer lasts for a full day (but I have a Nexus 5, not known for battery life).

- Definitely affects my next phone purchase. It can be bigger (since I pull it out much less often), and needs to have great battery life.


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## rationaltime

broudie said:


> *Day 5 Report:*
> 
> - Definitely affects my next phone purchase. It can be bigger (since I pull it out much less often), and needs to have great battery life.


That is an interesting observation. I wonder if it predicts a trend in the market.

Thanks,
rationaltime


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## BarracksSi

rationaltime said:


> That is an interesting observation. I wonder if it predicts a trend in the market.
> 
> Thanks,
> rationaltime


I think it accommodates, rather than predicts, the trend of big-screen phones and "phablets" (I hate the concept as much as I hate the word).

I also don't think we're that far off from ditching handheld phones altogether, at least for most people and most purposes. Just as some still carry a pen and notepad, some will want a handheld device for information uses, but most won't need them.


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## indy_tdi

Broudie,
I have had my 360 for awhile now. Got the limited release grey strap, instead of the now available 'stone' color strap. I probably wear it every other day. Since the software update, battery life has really been extended. Now that it can last an entire day, even in 'ambient' screen mode, I have gone back to leaving that mode off. It does save the battery. I have been using 'facer' to change watch faces, some of which are really convincing. I wonder how long before Rolex, IWC, etc send 'cease and desist' orders for the watch face duplications. What a bummer that your screen crapped out. The strap is going to be an issue. The horween leather sure does soak up the moisture. With the recessed spring bars, I'm not sure that even a 2 piece nato will fit. And I really don't want a metal bracelet. I hope you get your replacement soon.


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## watchvaultnyc

indy_tdi said:


> Broudie,
> I have had my 360 for awhile now. Got the limited release grey strap, instead of the now available 'stone' color strap. I probably wear it every other day. Since the software update, battery life has really been extended. Now that it can last an entire day, even in 'ambient' screen mode, I have gone back to leaving that mode off. It does save the battery. I have been using 'facer' to change watch faces, some of which are really convincing. I wonder how long before Rolex, IWC, etc send 'cease and desist' orders for the watch face duplications. What a bummer that your screen crapped out. The strap is going to be an issue. The horween leather sure does soak up the moisture. With the recessed spring bars, I'm not sure that even a 2 piece nato will fit. And I really don't want a metal bracelet. I hope you get your replacement soon.


With regards to watch faces, I seriously think that the big watchmakers will sell paid watch faces.

That battery life keeps getting better and better. If my workday is in front of a PC (and reading messages from it vs watch), I end up with 30-40% battery by the time I fall asleep. If I spend most of the day outside the house and take my messages on the watch, I still have 10%-20% battery left at the end of the day.

Have you been experiencing the "screen burn in" issue? I have this on top of the "CRT" effect.


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## watchvaultnyc

Day 7 Report:

- My nice watches have now been relegated to "jewelry" duty. Dates, parties, special occasions. The smartwatch is now my daily driver. However, it's not tough enough for active duty like cycling, hiking, or swimming. Casio should make an Android Wear G Shock.

- I take my phone out of my pocket so much less now that I'm considering changing the case to a light-duty skin.

- I do wish that the health functions were more fully developed. When compared to fitness trackers like the Jawbone UP 24, Android Wear is downright primitive. A built-in sleep tracker would be nice, as well as configurable activity tracker. However, it's not bad enough that I'll want a separate activity tracker along with the smart watch.

- Very few message/email apps have the "reply by dictation" feature. This is more of an issue of the apps vs the watch, but still.


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## trott3r

Interesting read.
I did like the look of the moto360 more than the other watches.

Using a pebble myself and like the 3 to 5days battery life and constant on watch faces along with the sleep monitor.

Keep us updated


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## watchvaultnyc

Day 8 Report:

- I think I understand the "hidden lugs" design choice - it maximizes the size of the watch face. Contrast with LG G Watch R, which has a large bezel to hide the "flat tire", the screen of the Moto 360 is much larger. With small screens, every little bit of extra real estate helps. I hope they follow this up with a flieger-sized one.

- I will never get used to voice commands in public. It is just so unseemly / attention-seeking. Voice commands only done now in the privacy of my home or car. 

- Unexpected downside: its very bright in the theater / movie house! When messages come in, the bright light of the watch screen makes it almost as irritating to the people behind you as playing with your phone during the movie. The watch should have a "dim mode" in these situations. Or maybe set the watch to "mute" or "airplane mode" (both already available) so you don't get messages in the interim.

- "Gone Girl" was awesome btw.


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## BarracksSi

broudie said:


> - Unexpected downside: its very bright in the theater / movie house! When messages come in, the bright light of the watch screen makes it almost as irritating to the people behind you as playing with your phone during the movie. The watch should have a "dim mode" in these situations. Or maybe set the watch to "mute" or "airplane mode" (both already available) so you don't get messages in the interim.


Does it have an ambient light sensor?


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## watchvaultnyc

Yes, but still too bright when in the movies


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## rationaltime

broudie said:


> Day 8 Report:
> 
> - Unexpected downside: its very bright in the theater / movie house! When messages come in, the bright light of the watch screen makes it almost as irritating to the people behind you as playing with your phone during the movie. The watch should have a "dim mode" in these situations. Or maybe set the watch to "mute" or "airplane mode" (both already available) so you don't get messages in the interim.


The movie theater is not the only place you don't want a sudden bright light.
The Motorola product team should have tested that. Perhaps that can be 
adjusted in firmware. I had the high beam indicator on my truck re-programmed
to be dimmer.

Thanks,
rationaltime


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## watchvaultnyc

*End of Week 2 Report:*

- It was a great day outside, so I took the bike out and meandered through my favorite bike path. The Moto is an amazing companion when riding, especially when doing endurance rides (5-10 hours). As many cyclist can attest to, the biggest enemy of very long rides is boredom. So it's great that I can check emails and stuff while riding (my riding is on long bike paths through parks, so no cars and barely any people to be a hazard). Also, voice commands for calls and text messages, time and temperature can't be beat. Some apps like Strava provides a basic, mini cycling display as well - not as good as dedicated cycling computers of course, but good enough in a pinch. It can only get better.

- Reading notifications on the phone itself is now a chore, and is very irritating when I don't have my smartwatch on. To think that I have to unlock my phone each time I check notifications! It's easy to get spoiled.

- After 2 weeks, my 2nd Moto 360 is arriving tomorrow, to replace my current unit with a defective screen that seems to get worse and worse over time. The customer service rep I first talked to promised a replacement within 24 hours, not 2 weeks. But given that its out of stock in Google Play, I will cut them some slack.

- Battery life keeps getting better. Not sure if it is because of my usage habits, or that the battery is now "seasoned". Android L and Android Wear 2.0 is going to be released any day now, and I'm really excited.

At the 2nd week of ownership, who can I solidly recommend this watch to?
1) People who need to be on top of their electronic messages all the time (i.e. they don't want to wait to be at their desk to read their messages)
2) Cyclist, hikers, runners, speed walkers, and folk who spend a lot of time outdoors.
3) People who are aiming to buy fitness trackers. For just $100 extra, you get much more with Android Wear

What are the biggest problems?
- Voice commands are still hit or miss
- Charging on the go. You can't just plug into a micro USB cable.
- Support of popular apps for Android Wear (just on version 1, there is so much potential that has not been realized)
- Makes your phone's battery drain significantly faster


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## watchvaultnyc

*Middle of the 3rd Week:*

- The replacement finally arrived! 2 weeks of waiting for a replacement serviced advertised as "24 hour". Right now, I'll blame the low inventory levels. I've downloaded an app that blanks out the screen during charging, so that the screen-burn issue does not happen

- With a sample set of 2, I can conclude that battery life definitely gets better over time. When the first one could last 1.5 days on a charge, the new one is barely breaking 24 hours. Should get better after 2 weeks of use.

- An unexpected benefit for the watch. Since you can change or tweak watch faces with 4 clicks, I've started to color-coordinate the watch with my wardrobe (and I'm not the type of guy to do these things!)


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## watchvaultnyc

Now that the weather is turning cold in the Northeast, I've discovered an unexpected perk: with gloves on, it's much, much easier to look at your messages on a smart watch vs a phone!


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## BarracksSi

Apple designer Jony Ive said in a recent interview that, in digging for info about wristwatch history, he noticed that it took hundreds of years for timekeeping devices to get in the wrist, and that once it got there, it's stayed there.

Sure seems like a smartwatch makes more sense, more of the time, than a smartphone. It's been interesting to read how you use yours.


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## trott3r

Heheh yeah, i hadnt thought of the cold weather advantage.

First time I will be using my pebble in winter


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## watchvaultnyc

*Day 20 Report:*

- If there is one limitation that I keep bouncing off against, is the fact that emails (Yahoo, MS Outlook) and Facebook messages cannot be read from the smartphone (other than the notification / subject line). Yes it is definitely better to read the message on your phone, but sometimes you have no better option at the time (for example, phone is inaccessible like when cycling). SMS messages though can be viewed in their entirety on the smartwatch

- Hands-free interactions can also be enhanced, for when both hands are unavailable. For example, when reading notifications, flicking your wrist clockwise/counterclockwise could scroll messages up and down. This is already done when you raise your watch and the screen lights up.

- Moto 360 specific: although wireless charging is awesome, there should be a backup charging port (i.e. micro USB). Because sometimes you may need to charge your watch but aren't near your wireless dock. This will allow the watch to be used in more "mission critical" situations, such as using it as a compass/map when hiking.

- Casio: Sell an Android Wear G-Shock - I would buy one in an instant!


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## watchvaultnyc

*Week 3 Report:*

- With the latest Android Wear update, the moto 360 now lasts for 2 working days (2 working days, 1 evening in between). Who would have thunk it just weeks ago?

- It's really hard to use the Moto 360 like an analog watch. Because the dial is displayed on a flat screen, it looks like the dial and hands are pasted on when viewed from an angle. Because of this I've stopped using the analog watch face. It's completely digital faces for me now.

- what would be awesome would be some sort of transparent screen, where you would have real analog hands and a real analog dial. The crystal would be your touchscreen and would black out portions or the whole screen and display stuff if needed. So until the phone was activated, the smartwatch would look exactly like any analog timepiece.

- Still a lack of good apps. The "killer app" has not arrived yet. Better get moving Google, the Apple watch is just around the corner.


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## shnjb

broudie said:


> *Week 3 Report:*
> 
> - With the latest Android Wear update, the moto 360 now lasts for 2 working days (2 working days, 1 evening in between). Who would have thunk it just weeks ago?
> 
> - It's really hard to use the Moto 360 like an analog watch. Because the dial is displayed on a flat screen, it looks like the dial and hands are pasted on when viewed from an angle. Because of this I've stopped using the analog watch face. It's completely digital faces for me now.
> 
> - what would be awesome would be some sort of transparent screen, where you would have real analog hands and a real analog dial. The crystal would be your touchscreen and would black out portions or the whole screen and display stuff if needed. So until the phone was activated, the smartwatch would look exactly like any analog timepiece.
> 
> - Still a lack of good apps. The "killer app" has not arrived yet. Better get moving Google, the Apple watch is just around the corner.


My feeling is that the killer app for Google is the information it learns from the Google wear users, valuavle info about the users that can then be used to sell to advertisers for more targeted effective ads.

Thus the killer app is you and the consumers are the companies trying to sell you more stuff on and offline.


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## watchvaultnyc

shnjb said:


> My feeling is that the killer app for Google is the information it learns from the Google wear users, valuavle info about the users that can then be used to sell to advertisers for more targeted effective ads.
> 
> Thus the killer app is you and the consumers are the companies trying to sell you more stuff on and offline.


You mean like the way Google is already selling you to advertisers based on the pages your read on WUS? What a completely novel idea!


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## BarracksSi

^^^^ That's why I changed my default search engine to DuckDuckGo (but that's another story)...


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## watchvaultnyc

*A Day Without a Smartwatch:*

Today was the first full day that I wore a mechanical since my Moto 360 arrived. It was my mother's birthday (a whole-day affair), and for family occasions I wear the Seiko Sport Divers (1969) my father purchased during their honeymoon vacation.

I had a bit of separation anxiety from my smart watch, but it turns out that for social occasions, it was not that bad. If you have your phone on a table in front of you, a smart watch is almost superfluous. I did pick up my phone a lot more times during the day, but in this context I did not feel wearing a smartwatch was "worth it". I did not get any health tracking data though, of course as I left the moto home.

The takeaway is, at least for my own purposes, weekends and social days are still a place where I would want to wear a nice mechanical over a smartwatch. For workdays, away from the desk, or outdoors or on the road, I would prefer to have a smartwatch on my wrist.


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## BarracksSi

Could you guess whether you checked the phone more, or less, than you would've checked the Moto?

Or, does the Moto relieve you of having to manually check anything at all?


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## watchvaultnyc

With the moto, I don't have to check anything at all, unless it's an email that needs to be actioned immediately. Texts and chat messages can be answered via speech-to-text replies on the watch itself.

However if you're sitting down for dinner, your phone will likely be in front of you on the table anyway, so there's little advantage to a smartwatch in those situations. Also you may need your phone if you need to escape awkward social situations (i.e. "I'm reading my email so I'm not listening to you")


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## BarracksSi

As I keep thinking about my next phone, stories like this are making me rethink whether I want to stick with my "small" iPhone 5S (or the 6) or if I could manage using the bigger 6 Plus instead. 

My choice might still come down to pocketability, but if I regularly carried my phone in my gym sack or backpack, the smartwatch makes "phablet" phones much easier to tolerate.


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## watchvaultnyc

*Week 4 Review:*

I discovered what could be a very important android wear app from some of us - *an audio recorder*. The app records from the watch and saves the recording on your phone for later playback or copying. Yes you can get an audio recorder on a phone, but it can be more conveniently done by tapping on your wrist while still keeping your hands free. From a safety perspective, its pretty useful if you for example get into an altercation (i.e. argument or fight) with a stranger or an accident on the road. You can record the conversation and let the other party know so they will always be at their best behavior. This also works with customer service reps and a speakerphone. I've personally found this useful the other day when someone cold-called me and pretended to be from Infiniti (they were trying to sell me a third-party car warranty). They kept insisting they were from Infiniti until I told them I was recording the conversation.

This week I also used Google Maps for sidewalk (walking) navigation. It buzzes when you need to make a turn, and is much easier to look at sporadically while walking than looking at your smartphone. The downside is that smartphones in your pocket have very poor GPS signal. So until the issue of accuracy gets solved, you cant 100% rely on it to get you to where you're going unless you have your phone in hand so it gets better GPS signal (which defeats the purpose of using the watch screen). Promising but work-in-progress.

After a month of use, I'm pretty much certain that some form of wearable on the wrist is definitely useful and not just a novelty like an LED t-shirt or hat, whether its the type that tries to look like a regular watch like the Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R, or something smaller on your right wrist like a FitBit, Garmin, or Microsoft Band that will not stop you from wearing regular mechanical watches.


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## refugio

broudie said:


> After a month of use, I'm pretty much certain that some form of wearable on the wrist is definitely useful and not just a novelty like an LED t-shirt or hat, whether its the type that tries to look like a regular watch like the Moto 360 or the LG G Watch R, or something smaller on your right wrist like a FitBit, Garmin, or Microsoft Band that will not stop you from wearing regular mechanical watches.


I'm on day 4 with the Microsoft band on my right wrist, and I don't think I've looked at my watch (new to me X-33 Gen2) more than a couple of times. So today I tried turning on the time display on the band (off by default) and removing my watch. I can already see how a smart...band may completely change my watch habits.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

refugio said:


> I'm on day 4 with the Microsoft band on my right wrist, and I don't think I've looked at my watch (new to me X-33 Gen2) more than a couple of times. So today I tried turning on the time display on the band (off by default) and removing my watch. I can already see how a smart...band may completely change my watch habits.


Yes, the first time I've started using my smartwatch more than my mechanicals made me feel very ambivalent. But the nice watches still get wrist time as jewelry during social occasions.


----------



## refugio

broudie said:


> But the nice watches still get wrist time as jewelry during social occasions.


Yes, that's what worries me. I went from whatever the heck I had prior to WUS (still have them) to nice watches - Blancpains for example. But I don't dress up at all, and I realized that nobody else cared - or even noticed - what I was wearing, so I sold all of them and went to divers and other tool watches. Now you can't dive or even swim with the MS band, but I don't need a watch with...a date, an alarm, a chrono, chronometer accuracy. So am I back to simply a mechanical wrist ornament?


----------



## watchvaultnyc

refugio said:


> Yes, that's what worries me. I went from whatever the heck I had prior to WUS (still have them) to nice watches - Blancpains for example. But I don't dress up at all, and I realized that nobody else cared - or even noticed - what I was wearing, so I sold all of them and went to divers and other tool watches. Now you can't dive or even swim with the MS band, but I don't need a watch with...a date, an alarm, a chrono, chronometer accuracy. So am I back to simply a mechanical wrist ornament?


Lots of stuff to be said about that and the answer may differ from person to person. But I have found peace in the thought that there is nothing wrong about wanting to own a beautiful mechanical wrist ornament, just as there is nothing wrong with wanting a vintage Porsche though it can be objectively obsoleted nowadays by any modern econobox car.


----------



## refugio

broudie said:


> ...But I have found peace in the thought that there is nothing wrong about wanting to own a beautiful mechanical wrist ornament, just as there is nothing wrong with wanting a vintage Porsche though it can be objectively obsoleted nowadays by any modern econobox car.


Have you watched:
"Urban Outlaw" 
about Magnus Walker? b-) It's been discussed on the Omega forum in the past (he wears a vintage Speedy Mark IV!).


----------



## BarracksSi

^^^^ His pale blue model, with the black bonnet, orange bumpers, and louvered whine cover -- I think that's the one I saw online, maybe at R&T. Man, that's the kind of Porsche I wish I could put together.


----------



## crobalt

Btw, about charging. It's supposed to have regular wireless Qi charging so you can buy el cheapo flat Qi-charger off the Amazon/Ebay and carry it with the cable with you for off occasion you need to charge it at work or elsewhere.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

crobalt said:


> Btw, about charging. It's supposed to have regular wireless Qi charging so you can buy el cheapo flat Qi-charger off the Amazon/Ebay and carry it with the cable with you for off occasion you need to charge it at work or elsewhere.


Yes you're right! I actually have my eye on an Anker Qi charger. However, I'm not sure the watch lays flat enough (with the strap and all) to make good contact with the charger. Well, if it doesn't work I can always use it with my Nexus 5


----------



## Matt Stone

New Moto Connect makes it easy to throw in custom watch face backgrounds. You could use it to have a picture or something, but I made a take on a non-speedo speedy:


----------



## shnjb

Matt Stone said:


> New Moto Connect makes it easy to throw in custom watch face backgrounds. You could use it to have a picture or something, but I made a take on a non-speedo speedy:


That black thing on the bottom though...


----------



## watchvaultnyc

That new feature just came out yesterday! I should try playing around with it


----------



## X2-Elijah

I just wanted to say a big 'thank you' for this entire thread. Very interesting and useful feedback, especially from another 'watch person'. This has basically pushed me over the edge into getting a smart-doohickey for myself.

One quick question - are you by any chance an IT guy? If so, have you tried making apps for these things yet?


----------



## watchvaultnyc

X2-Elijah said:


> I just wanted to say a big 'thank you' for this entire thread. Very interesting and useful feedback, especially from another 'watch person'. This has basically pushed me over the edge into getting a smart-doohickey for myself.
> 
> One quick question - are you by any chance an IT guy? If so, have you tried making apps for these things yet?


Used to be an IT guy, but more enterprise than mobile. The whole wearable space is ripe for a killer app.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

*Week 6 Report:*

Android Lollipop update:
- You can set your Moto360 as a "trusted device", i.e. you now have the option of bypassing the password-lock your phone when the smartwatch is paired. Has the effect of leaving your phone unlocked when you're within 10-20 feet of your phone. Great additional convenience! You can still manually password-lock your phone if it has, ahem, "sensitive" information. 
- Battery of the Moto360 seems to improve even more with the new Android update. 24 hours of use got me down to 50% battery, so I think with moderate use I can get to 48 hours wrist-time

Moto 360 Companion App update:
- the companion app now lets you create a custom watch-face with a picture background. Family pix, anyone? Cheesy, but cute.


----------



## alx007

Amazing review. Thanks for taking the time to shed such a light in so many different aspects o the smartwatch ownership experience.

I have been wearing a 360 this past week, and my impression is a bit different than yours. A lot different, actually. I guess this is just me - but I can't wait to go back to my mechanical watches!

Here is what I gathered so far. Let's start with the cons:

1) I find the watch very goofy. Too big, too flat, the strap is incredibly cheap (especially for something branded Horween)!
2) There is a certain latency when you turn around to see the time. 
3) The UI is not as intuitive as I wish it was, and sometimes is not really very responsive - sometimes you flip around to see the time, the face doesn't turn on. Then you tap it to see if the face shows. Then there is the latency, you tap twice, and the "Ok Google" prompt comes in. Then you find yourself trying to figure out how to go back to the watch face. 
4) he watch doesn't seem to be as smart as you'd expect as to when to dim / brighten the screen. 
5) My battery is not lasting nearly as long as yours. After 12h of normal use, it's screaming to be recharged.
6) The cards - the touch area is too small, and there are similar gestures to completely different actions. Definitely takes some getting used to. And most of the cards have very limited interaction / functionality. Most of the times, you are stuck with "open in phone".
7) The connection with the phone drops ALL THE TIME.
8) The stock faces are silly.
9) Some notifications are lacking - for example, if someone sends you a picture via MMS, you get just an "Image" alert, and not a thumbnail of the actual image. That would be nice.

Now to what I liked:

1) Trusted agents - that is a HUGE one for me. I really enjoy not having to enter a password when my phone is in close proximity with the watch.
2) It's a decent activity tracker. The heart rate monitor is definitely a plus.
3) The form factor is not nearly as goofy as the other renditions of android wear. 
4) Music controls work fine. 
5) Glancing some notifications (i.e: Text messages) is quite a nice thing to have on your wrist.
6) Facer: THIS IS A MUST HAVE APP IF YOU GET THIS WATCH - costs only a buck, and lets you customize the face. A lot of creative people put out some pretty interesting faces, much better than the stock stuff that Motorola packs with the watch and the Moto Connect app. It also addresses another huge thing to me:
7) Sweeping seconds - I love facer for letting you set a face with sweeping seconds. maybe this is eating out my battery life, but I'm ok with it.

I think smartwatches have potential to become a real thing, and the 360 sits right in the cross between novelty and prime-time item. I think we're still going to see a lot of interesting stuff coming up - can't wait to see the Apple Watch in person!

This one is definitely not for me, though. I'm with you - an Android Wear G-Shock would make a lot of sense - these smartwatches from tech companies, on the other hand, still feel like they have a lot of shape up to do. Even when they have a nice design, they are still electronics, with all the limitations that pertain electronics: they need to be built cheaply because they will probably be obsolete in a year's time, will need constant, often annoying updates. In this sense, at least in practice, Apple seems to have grasped better our segment of the market - people who don't mind paying a lot more for something well built.

In closing, I'll leave a picture of the 360 I'm wearing. As soon as I learned you could customize the face, I found a way to throw something classic there!









@broudie - Cheers, and many thanks for the review!


----------



## rationaltime

alx007 said:


> Now to what I liked:
> 6) Facer: THIS IS A MUST HAVE APP IF YOU GET THIS WATCH - costs only a buck, and lets you customize the face. A lot of creative people put out some pretty interesting faces, much better than the stock stuff that Motorola packs with the watch and the Moto Connect app. It also addresses another huge thing to me:
> 7) Sweeping seconds - I love facer for letting you set a face with sweeping seconds. maybe this is eating out my battery life, but I'm ok with it.


Thank you for the report.

Based on some posts on the forum I think people will appreciate knowing
about the Facer app that allows changing the time display.

Thanks,
rationaltime


----------



## X2-Elijah

alx007 said:


> a face with sweeping seconds. maybe this is eating out my battery life


Er, yeah. That would be a very obvious reason of why you are getting so poor battery results. Screen being always on + constantly refreshing with new image matrix *several times per second*? You bet it's going to draw out the power fast.


----------



## alx007

X2-Elijah said:


> Er, yeah. That would be a very obvious reason of why you are getting so poor battery results. Screen being always on + constantly refreshing with new image matrix *several times per second*? You bet it's going to draw out the power fast.


Oh well, good thing I said I was OK with that in the end of the sentence.


----------



## peagreen

As of a couple of hours ago I might be interested in getting one of these since I found out they can be set up to display a 24-hour analogue dial.
My only problem is water resistance or the lack thereof.
According to the webpage this watch has IP67 water resistance but the user guide that can be downloaded from Motorola says "Don't expose your mobile device to water, rain, extreme humidity, sweat or other liquids".
That looks to me ample reason not to buy one, if it can't even handle a drop of sweat or shower of rain.


----------



## peagreen

Just had a chat with Motorola customer support and "Bob" reassured me that the warning refers to the device connected to the Moto 360, not the Moto 360 itself.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

4 Month Update:

A couple of realizations:

- this watch is much more useful outdoors than indoors. Indoors I can just look at my phone (except when it is charging in another room). Outdoors, especially when driving, nothing beats glancing at your wrist. Also the ability to use the watch as a camera trigger, or to quickly record a conversation, or to bring up factoids (i.e. "whats the time in virginia?") is great.

- I don't need the watch to look pretty. Whenever I need to wear a watch that looks nice, I pull out a mechanical. This is strictly for utility, so something that looks like a G-Shock would be ideal


----------



## X2-Elijah

broudie said:


> - this watch is much more useful outdoors than indoors. Indoors I can just look at my phone (except when it is charging in another room). Outdoors, especially when driving, nothing beats glancing at your wrist.


Yuuup, that's exactly what I've arrived at as well with my smartwatch. It's basically pretty much useful only whilst on the move.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

*10 MONTHS LATER
*
Boy I did not think that I would be updating this thread for this long. After 10 months, what happened to my Moto 360?

- It has basically taken up my 9-5 weekday schedule. Check emails and other important messages. Retired my Jawbone Up and using the Moto for fitness tracking. Useful when driving. I find that I now keep the phone in my pocket when out of the house, and use a headset and the watch to screen, take, or make calls

- I have essentially given up on looking for nice apps. Notifications and fitness tracking are still the primary apps for me, as well as Android "Trusted Device" (meaning when the watch and the phone are on me, the phone no longer asks me to type in a PIN when I wake it). "Find My Phone", Voice Recorder, as well as integration with the Nest home security camera are the other primary uses.

- I have also given up on the idea of "nice watchfaces". What's on the watchface all the time is purely information (time, weather, battery status). Since the watch screen is off until you invoke the screen, no one gets to see the nice watch face anyway.

- It does not go on vacation with me. Having to dock at the end of the day is still something that is too much of a hassle.

So what is it?

It's a tool that helps make modern life easier. It's a pretty bad fashion statement unless you're part of a certain demographic. You can't get laid with it like you can easily do when you wear an Armani watch :roll:

But if you're a guy with suitcases full of nice watches, and you still choose to wear a dorky smartwatch during the day, it's a testament to how useful it is.

What would make it better?

Casio should make a solar G-shock version of this. It would be the ultimate "tool watch"


----------



## watchvaultnyc

With the upgrade of Android Wear to support interactive watch faces, my Moto360 has now gained a new level of functionality. The new Under Armour watch face which is also an activity tracker is now something I use regularly during my nightly walks. This is in fact the first time that I am starting to use activity-specific watch faces, which greatly increases the utility of the smart watch.


----------



## VR16710

watchvaultnyc said:


> *10 MONTHS LATER
> *
> What would make it better?
> 
> Casio should make a solar G-shock version of this. It would be the ultimate "tool watch"


Wouldn't that be something? I have several Casio's but am starting to get interested in smart watches too. I'm just not sure if it's a passing fancy or if I'd take more of a permanent liking to it. I'm definitely behind seeing what solar charging might do to extend battery life, hopefully someone behind the scenes are starting to work on such ideas. I imagine, as with smart phones, it will start evolving rather quickly.

When I think about these new gadgets I do start getting excited though. I mean who might have imagined 20 years ago such an adaptable platform. For instance, as you mentioned, being able to change the watchface to match your outfit or mood. Or no more deciding which G-shock to get depending on the sensor package. With a smart watch you can easily customize it with apps to your personal taste, (though I guess ABC sensors are still semi required, at least on the base phone?).

Anyhow, I've enjoyed reading your thread, thanks for the report.


----------



## trott3r

VR16710 said:


> Wouldn't that be something? I have several Casio's but am starting to get interested in smart watches too. I'm just not sure if it's a passing fancy or if I'd take more of a permanent liking to it. I'm definitely behind seeing what solar charging might do to extend battery life, hopefully someone behind the scenes are starting to work on such ideas. I imagine, as with smart phones, it will start evolving rather quickly.
> 
> When I think about these new gadgets I do start getting excited though. I mean who might have imagined 20 years ago such an adaptable platform. For instance, as you mentioned, being able to change the watchface to match your outfit or mood. Or no more deciding which G-shock to get depending on the sensor package. With a smart watch you can easily customize it with apps to your personal taste, (though I guess ABC sensors are still semi required, at least on the base phone?).
> 
> Anyhow, I've enjoyed reading your thread, thanks for the report.


The pebble times smartstraps apparently may support this.
Seen on some forum that there s one in development for solar charging.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

trott3r said:


> The pebble times smartstraps apparently may support this.
> Seen on some forum that there s one in development for solar charging.


Extremely excited about solar charging. One of my recent wishes is that they put in those transparent solar cells as a screen layer. Yeah you will not be able to get off charging your phone or watch but it at least extends battery life like a hybrid car. Eventually, someone will realize that there's a market to phones that don't need to charge, and they'll find a way to either dial down performance to extend battery life, or to make more efficient solar cells. I'm pretty sure that an e-paper smartwatch or smartphone, if used sparingly can run without plugging it in.


----------



## robert01

I really like this Moto 360. Now Moto 360 is available at $140.
But I am about going for Moto 360II.


----------



## VR16710

robert01 said:


> I really like this Moto 360. Now Moto 360 is available at $140.
> But I am about going for Moto 360II.


I know, that price makes it really tempting. However it's always fun to go for the latest and greatest, but twice the price, hmmm.

I'm having a hard time deciding whether to even buy a smart watch or not. Today, my wife got an Apple watch and she loves it, (I think it's pretty cool too). However, I don't have an iphone so that's out. Currently I'm using a Samsung S4 provided free from work. Unfortunately I probably wouldn't even use a smart watch at work as I work in a clean room and they'd probably want it covered up, (plus it would surely take a LOT of abuse, working in tight places, acid gear etc).

Anyhow, I'm still tempted just for the novelty. I'm mixed though between the Moto 360 2015 or the Samsung Gear S2 which has the very well received rotating bezel. But, Android will probablyprove to be more adaptable with more apps etc. and ... as you mention, one can get the older Moto 360 for pretty darned cheap comparatively.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

VR16710 said:


> I know, that price makes it really tempting. However it's always fun to go for the latest and greatest, but twice the price, hmmm.
> 
> I'm having a hard time deciding whether to even buy a smart watch or not. Today, my wife got an Apple watch and she loves it, (I think it's pretty cool too). However, I don't have an iphone so that's out. Currently I'm using a Samsung S4 provided free from work. Unfortunately I probably wouldn't even use a smart watch at work as I work in a clean room and they'd probably want it covered up, (plus it would surely take a LOT of abuse, working in tight places, acid gear etc).
> 
> Anyhow, I'm still tempted just for the novelty. I'm mixed though between the Moto 360 2015 or the Samsung Gear S2 which has the very well received rotating bezel. But, Android will probablyprove to be more adaptable with more apps etc. and ... as you mention, one can get the older Moto 360 for pretty darned cheap comparatively.


Just letting you know, aside from not being water-resistant, the Moto 360 is pretty tough. I've been using it as a daily wearer for a year and it has not developed any scratches or dings that I notice at all (unlike my mechanicals which get scratched with much less use).

I chalk it up to the fact that the light stainless steel case is probably sheet instead of cast metal (which makes it "give" rather than scratch and ding when bumped).

From my perspective, the only downsides of the older moto 360 vs the new ones are: no lugs (but no lugs makes it look smaller on the wrist, so it could be a good thing), and iffy battery life.

I myself am waiting for the Moto360 sport, which adds water resistance, longer battery, and sunlight-visible screen - addresses most of the issues of the current watch


----------



## VR16710

Additionally the newer Moto 360 got a processor upgrade so supposedly a little snappier. I thought I read that the original Moto 360 was at least semi water resistant as well, either way glad to hear it seems durable. 

I've been reading a lot of reviews lately and from what I've gathered the big 3 (for the upcoming Holiday season) seem to be the Moto 360 2, the Huawei, and the Samsung Gear S2. Depends on which article you read as to which one is supposedly best.

The Huawei has saphire glass and more "traditional" watch looks. But as stated above, the saphire glass might not be a great advantage. 

I have to confess I'm kind of leaning towards the Samsung as people continue to rave about how "fun" and "intuitive" the rotating bezel is. It's battery life is among the best as is the amoled screen (probably why the smallish 250mA battery lasts as long as it does). The downside being the Tizen os lacks apps compared to other Android wear watches.

Yep, as Watchvaultnyc points out, the smartest thing might be to wait for the 3G phones, such as the upcoming Moto 360 sport, or Samsung's 3G varient. 

It always seems a difficult decision for me on these new, rapidly developing and expensive technologies. Should I wait for the next great advancement or jump in now, (knowing it will probably be outdated in a couple of months), and just have some fun with it? I guess I'll know when I get to Best Buy later today to check out that Samsung, hehe.


----------



## yannerd

I just picked up a Moto 360 2015 version for my wife and she's quite happy with it. It seems quite a bit improved over the original Moto 360. The Snapdragon 400 processor has helped quite a bit. She's coming from a Samsung Gear Fit (without a Samsung phone) and it's a night and day difference for her. 

Personally, I've had my Asus Zenwatch for about a year now and I've been incredibly happy with that. Truthfully, I rarely wear anything but the smart watch now since getting notifications is so much easier with it. I think the only time I break out the real watch is when I'm flying just because it's hard seeing the screen with polarized sunglasses on.


----------



## VR16710

Nice to hear your wife is enjoying the new Moto! (I got mine an AW - she's an iphone user ;-))

I have to agree with you yannerd, if I'm going to wear a watch it's the smart watch for me as well.

Perhaps I'm still fascinated by the new gadget but between being able to switch watch faces anytime I want, get the weather and a host of other info, oh yeah and the very handy notifications, my old watches just seem ... well lacking.

I think I was a doubter early on, which is bad as the company I work for is always talking about "the internet of things" but I have to say since getting my smartwatch I'm definitely seeing things in a different light. Suddenly I do see the (fun?) in having a refrigerator that will email you a shopping list, or yep, a watch that can unlock your front door or start your car for that matter.


----------



## watchvaultnyc

My experience keeps changing the longer I use it. Right now the top use cases are:

- Notifications
- Trusted Device (will unlock your phone without a PIN if your watch is on you), nice crutch until my phone gets a fingerprint scanner
- Weather
- podcast controls
- misc "OK Google" inquries
- fitness tracking


----------



## VR16710

watchvaultnyc said:


> My experience keeps changing the longer I use it. Right now the top use cases are:
> 
> - Notifications
> - Trusted Device (will unlock your phone without a PIN if your watch is on you), nice crutch until my phone gets a fingerprint scanner
> - Weather
> - podcast controls
> - misc "OK Google" inquries
> - fitness tracking


Yep, I'm learning more and more about my new smart watch as well, really loving it! I started using the fitness tracker today and the S voice, (Samsung's equivalent to OK Google). It works really well to transcribe voice into text for messaging.
I certainly don't mean to offend anyone, I know lots of people enjoy wearing watches for many reasons, but I will say the smart watch is really the only watch I want to wear now. That however could change quickly if I'm not near a power source!


----------



## yannerd

VR16710 said:


> Nice to hear your wife is enjoying the new Moto! (I got mine an AW - she's an iphone user ;-))
> 
> I have to agree with you yannerd, if I'm going to wear a watch it's the smart watch for me as well.
> 
> Perhaps I'm still fascinated by the new gadget but between being able to switch watch faces anytime I want, get the weather and a host of other info, oh yeah and the very handy notifications, my old watches just seem ... well lacking.
> 
> I think I was a doubter early on, which is bad as the company I work for is always talking about "the internet of things" but I have to say since getting my smartwatch I'm definitely seeing things in a different light. Suddenly I do see the (fun?) in having a refrigerator that will email you a shopping list, or yep, a watch that can unlock your front door or start your car for that matter.


I've totally bought into the internet of things. I've got all the Nest products and have some light bulbs that are connected to wifi. The lightbulbs (WeMo) leave something to be desired but the Nest products are impressive. The thermostat checks to see if you're home and syncs with the smoke detectors to check for that. The camera has a 7 day save period and you can set it up to turn on only when you're away. Can I live without them? Sure. Do I like the extra functionality it provides? Absolutely!



watchvaultnyc said:


> My experience keeps changing the longer I use it. Right now the top use cases are:
> 
> - Notifications
> - Trusted Device (will unlock your phone without a PIN if your watch is on you), nice crutch until my phone gets a fingerprint scanner
> - Weather
> - podcast controls
> - misc "OK Google" inquries
> - fitness tracking


The trusted device that they added with Lollipop is also on the top of my list. It's so convenient not having to type in your password if your phone is connected to your watch (or any other trusted device)!


----------



## VR16710

yannerd said:


> I've totally bought into the internet of things. I've got all the Nest products and have some light bulbs that are connected to wifi. The lightbulbs (WeMo) leave something to be desired but the Nest products are impressive. The thermostat checks to see if you're home and syncs with the smoke detectors to check for that. The camera has a 7 day save period and you can set it up to turn on only when you're away. Can I live without them? Sure. Do I like the extra functionality it provides? Absolutely!
> 
> The trusted device that they added with Lollipop is also on the top of my list. It's so convenient not having to type in your password if your phone is connected to your watch (or any other trusted device)!


I'll have to look into those Nest products, thanks for the tip.

Unfortunately, as my phone is provided by my employer it won't allow a trusted device, sure seems convenient though - I get sick of typing in my password again and again and again. Actually even without the trusted device my watch provides much needed relief with the notifications. Ha ha, it lets me determine who's worthy of the hassle of typing in my password


----------



## Wiggleplum

Would love to have one of these, but the battery life is what really turns me off. Those of you with this watch, are you able to make it all day?


----------



## Wiggleplum

Another stupid question... Does this drain the battery in the phone its paired to at all?


----------



## pr1uk

Wiggleplum said:


> Would love to have one of these, but the battery life is what really turns me off. Those of you with this watch, are you able to make it all day?


I tried one for a couple of days i get up at 0600 and go to bed at between 0100/0200 with the display on all the time the watch would not last all day i also found the display useless outside in bright weather.

Peter


----------



## thirstyturtle

Just won a used gen 2 on eBay for $204 shipped. I was 3 seconds from pulling the trigger via MotoMaker which would've been ~$330 shipped. Just have to get a different band


----------



## jayabharath

Nice review!


----------



## watchvaultnyc

OK this is probably my last update for this watch.

The last couple of months I have become a new dad, and for some reason stopped wearing the Moto360 - but still kept it on it's charging cradle - for 3 months. The battery is now messed up due to the unusual charge cycling. Final thoughts after close to 2 years of ownership:

Its a great device, if you understand the use cases. For me, most important to least are the following: 
- notifications (email, social, weather, etc)
- fitness tracker
- media player remote
- Google Now queries
- remote camera shutter
- navigation while walking.

There are some very well done uses, though I do not use them a lot
- the Redfin Real Estate app will send notifications of the average prices of houses around your current location (awesome if looking for a house)
- the Nest app will show a camera snapshot on the phone itself if movement is detected by one of your cameras
- voice recorder apps that you can start from the phone. Good for impromptu recordings

The low points (biggest problems to smallest)
- will not replace a watch, especially if it doesn't have a practical "always on" mode (to long to wait for the screen to light up)
- did not have the stamina to last a day under heavy use
- still few use cases, especially at the $299 cost of entry
- poor water resistance

Just letting you guys know that as of this writing, the original Moto360 is now on sale for $79. At this price, most sins can be overlooked.

Post Moto 360, enter Sony:

When you have a baby, your hands are constantly in use, can't leave one free for a phone, so I was again in need of a smartwatch. I settled on the Sony Smartwatch 3, which at the time was on sale for under $150. It covered much of my main issues with the Moto hardware:
- could survive 2 days without charging easy
- could survive submersion in water
- had a dual display, with an always-on mode that was clearly visible outdoors
- did not look too much like a mechanical watch, so I could use it as a fitness tracker on the right while I wore a mechanical on the left
- used a USB port, makes it much easier to live with while traveling

It did have some issues:
- smaller screen than the Moto 360
- USB charging is a mixed blessing, charging it no longer as easy as plopping on a cradle
- silicone band is a dirt magnet

How do I use it? After 2 years of smartwatch use, this will not replace a watch for a mechanical watch lover like me. So whenever I want to wear a mechanical, I put the smartwatch on the right wrist. Previously, I would either have to choose whether I wanted to wear mechanical or smartwatch (which kinda messes up your fitness tracking)

After 2 years do I recommend a smartwatch? At the $150 price point and below, wholeheartedly. Just know that if you are a watch person this is a technology device first, and a watch second.


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## Hellosolifornia

I also like Moto360 smart watch this is cheap and best and have good performance and looks.


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