Slack and Outlook, two apps I use heavily on a day-to-day basis, are examples of this, bundling up multiple notifications into hard-to-read lists on single notification cards that can’t be expanded or read fully. While the Google apps work perfectly, presenting lists of individual notifications that can be expanded and read in full at a tap, the experience becomes far more inconsistent once you step outside those boundaries to third-party apps. I think Wear’s Google Now-based, voice-driven UI really suits the whole smartwatch concept, and given that it’s now possible to use some of the features of Android Wear on iOS as well, the OS has broader appeal than ever. What Google needs to do next is to improve the way apps present and bundle together notifications. And of, course, it all runs on Android Wear, Google’s wearable OS, which continues to improve and mature as time wears on. It’s such a good system that you wonder why more smartwatch manufacturers aren’t taking advantage of the technology.Īs for software, you still get the Motorola Moto Body apps, which record your heart rate, steps and calories, plus there’s an expanded selection of Motorola watch faces, with three new ones added this time around. You can even use one of Ikea’s wireless-charging bedside tables if you like. It supports the Qi standard, so not only can you set the watch down on the bundled cradle to charge it, but also any other wireless-charging plate that supports the same standard. Perhaps more importantly, the 360 retains that most useful of smartwatch features: inductive wireless charging. The smaller 42mm watch has a slightly sharper display (at 360 x 325 and 263ppi) than the 46mm model (at 360 x 330 and 233ppi), but that’s not a huge difference, and you’ll struggle to tell the difference between the two at normal viewing distances. One thing worth noting at this point is that the resolution and pixel density of the screen varies depending on the model you choose. It’s topped with Gorilla Glass 3, which is still pristine on my review sample, and the whole shebang is dust- and water-resistant to the IP67 standard. The Moto 360 still doesn’t use an AMOLED screen, which would seem to make more sense from the point of view of battery life than the backlit IPS panel in use here, but there’s nothing wrong with its brightness levels, colours or sharpness. Instead, it’s set up to carry out spot checks throughout the day and report back via the watch’s accompanying Moto Body Heart Activity app. The watch still has a PPG heart rate monitor, and it still can’t do continuous heart rate monitoring. There isn’t all that much to say about the rest of the Moto 360, other than it’s more of the same. Motorola Moto 360 2 review: Software and other features Motorola has really got its design spot on this time around. The smaller housing is the perfect size for my delicate wrists, and I suspect that it will be for many people, male or female. I was sent the smallest model, complete with slim strap and the smaller 42mm body, and apart from the disturbing flesh-tone leather wristband, I rather liked it. Motorola has added a small quick-release tab to the straps’ spring bars (the bits that attach the strap to the watch body), which allow you to chop and change as the mood takes you. There’s also another “Designed for women” model with a 42mm housing and a narrower 16mm wristband.īetter still, changing straps is now easier than ever. The cases measure 42mm and 46mm in diameter, and these come with 20mm width standard wristbands. In that respect, the Moto 360 2 looks very similar to last year’s model in every other respect, it’s all new. In fact, the revamped Motorola Moto 360 represents not one, but a whole family of new devices.ĭubbed the Moto 360 Collection, there are now two different sizes of Moto 360 to choose between and several varieties of strap. Embedded in a small black segment at the bottom of the watch face, this ensures you don’t have to adjust the brightness up and down manually as you do with so many other Android Wear devices. This is surely helped by the fact that Motorola has kept the ambient light sensor in place, even if it impinges on the watch’s elegant lines somewhat. It has an even bigger 400mAh battery inside. With the screen set to off, except for when I raised my wrist to check notifications, it lasted two days solid, and the larger 46mm Moto 360 should provide even longer battery life. With the screen set to Always-on mode, the 42mm Moto 360 2 comfortably made it to the end of every day I used it, with room to spare.
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