NEW DELHI: 2014 can well be called the year of the smartwatch, at least the year in which the smartwatch became mainstream. However, most of the smartwatch, wearable segment has been driven by startups and large companies doing their own things. The only exception to the rule if the Google-backed Android Wear platform that is slowly being adopted by multiple companies. A bit late in the day, but I finally got to test the Moto 360 from Motorola.
Specs: Android Wear OS | Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor | 1.56-inch Backlit LCD IPS (320x290p) display | 4GB eMMC ROM with 512MB RAM | 320mAh battery | 49 grams | Bluetooth 4.0 LE | 9-Axis (Gyro / Accelerometer / Compass), Pedometer, Optical heart-rate monitor | Dust and Water Resistant (IP67), Dual microphone
Design: The Moto 360 looks like a decent watch with a round watch face, nothing too loud, nothing out of place. It has only one button that is placed like the crown in a regular watch. This acts like the power buttons in an Android device. After all, this is also Android-based. What differentiates this one from a regular watch is the rear where there are sensors for the heart rate monitor. While there are metal strap options, the review unit I had was one with the Horween stone leather. I certainly was not the first person to review this particular piece and the wear and tear was clearly visible. Not a good sign for a unit that is not more than a couple of months old. Whatever the reviewer before me did with this watch, the strap should have held up better.
