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Seems like Sony has decided to go a step backwards in designing their smart watches... The SW2 was fantastic and very useful because it handled like a small phone, being able to have your apps displayed across home screens and having the ability to download many other apps. Android Wear just doesn't appeal to me... It's way too simplified and dumbed down of an experience for my liking.
so your contribution to the sw3 forum is "I don't want a sw3" lol
Even better, I don't want a ducati, I want a car, the use of only two wheels is a big step backward in the world of driving.
None of this is relevant feedback. If you want an android wear watch that is perfectly readable in daylight and can keep on all day without worrying about battery life, this is the one. The main cons in my book are the lack of interchangeable straps, the lack of wireless /easy charging, and the lack of a heart rate monitor. That said, as of today, I think it's the best aw option because of the usefulness of the screen.
Fwiw I have an original gwatch, moto 360, and briefly a gear live.
Khidr said:
The main cons in my book are the lack of interchangeable straps, the lack of wireless /easy charging, and the lack of a heart rate monitor. That said, as of today, I think it's the best aw option because of the usefulness of the screen.
Fwiw I have an original gwatch, moto 360, and briefly a gear live.
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This watch does have interchangeable straps. I also wish it had wireless charging, but I'm okay with it due to the IP68 rating. Also, the fact that it's micro USB and not a proprietary charging cable/crable is a plus in my opinion. Concerning heart rate monitor's, it's lack is apparent but at the same time, HRM's are not very accurate in wrists compared to chest or arm bands. I won't miss it.
Hi all,
Here is a video of me unboxing the Moto 360 and the Sony Smartwatch 3 which I received on the same day. http://youtu.be/0zLxA8hDQjA
I brought the two of them expecting there to be a clear winner for me (and sell the other). There was not and there still isn't. I prefer the backlit LCD screen of the 360, better blacks and viewing angles ect. But the Sony looks alot less conspicuous on my wrist. As I have dainty wrist this is a big issue for me. I love the wireless charger of the Moto and seeing as I have 4 other QI chargers at home, work and in the car I am not worried about running out of juice. I also like the Micro USB charging of the Sony as they can be found anywhere in the world, but it is a bit more fiddly to charge instead of just 'plonking' the watch down to charge.
The Sony has GPS and NFC built in as well as WIFI according to the white paper from Sony, although there is no use for it yet but I am sure there will be in the future. Although the Sony does not have a heart rate monitor. But my Samsung S5 does.
Long story short, I am keeping both. I will use the Sony for general day to day work but wear the Moto if going out. I will be changing the strap of the Moto as I hate the type of strap that comes with it. I will be fitting a stainless steel strap which will hopefully add a bit of weight as I found that both watches are allot lighter than I was expecting and prefer.
Any questions please feel free to ask.
thanks for the vid
have you had a chance to try out the GPS and blutooth music streaming(at the same time)?
for the sony that is
dave_id87 said:
thanks for the vid
have you had a chance to try out the GPS and blutooth music streaming(at the same time)?
for the sony that is
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Hi Dave
I have tried both, but not at the same time. Have you heard that there is an issue with it. If you have and you would like me to test it let me know.
Cheers
welshdragon said:
the Sony looks alot less conspicuous on my wrist. As I have dainty wrist this is a big issue for me.
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I am not sure if you know are aware, but Moto has just released 18mm versions of the 360 (as opposed to the original 23mm). I too have small wrists for a guy and I am quite intrigued by the 18mm version.
http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/shop-all-other/Moto-360/moto360-pdp.html
I'm not sure if you're aware, but moto have just released 18mm BANDS not watches. The watches are the same size 18mm is the width of the band
SW3 was on my alternative list, however, that screen looks ... Less than vibrant.
Hi,
I'm hoping to buy an android wear smartwatch soon but I'm torn between the Moto 360 and LG Urbane. I'm leaning towards the Moto 360 mainly for the larger screen and wireless charging. But not 100% keen on the bottom bar even though I know it's needed and the design can't work without it but does spoil the design somewhat though some watch faces seem to work well with it.
I generally prefer the design of the 360 over the Urbane, though screen is slightly better resolution on the Urbane thought would prefer the bigger screen. I just want to know what the Moto 360 is like to use daily and if the bottom bar really is much of an issue and would you rather get the Urbane?
mikesaa309 said:
Hi,
I'm hoping to buy an android wear smartwatch soon but I'm torn between the Moto 360 and LG Urbane. I'm leaning towards the Moto 360 mainly for the larger screen and wireless charging. But not 100% keen on the bottom bar even though I know it's needed and the design can't work without it but does spoil the design somewhat though some watch faces seem to work well with it.
I generally prefer the design of the 360 over the Urbane, though screen is slightly better resolution on the Urbane thought would prefer the bigger screen. I just want to know what the Moto 360 is like to use daily and if the bottom bar really is much of an issue and would you rather get the Urbane?
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Not much of an issue to me.. I guess its personal. I realize something that I prefer in the Moto 360. In comparison to the LG watch R, the cards in it tends to get cut off, which it will not happen in moto 360.
Just got a black one yest from a closing radio shack for 125. I already have a pebble steel, but i kinda like the android wear exp.
I got one today. I returned a pebble steel with a broken button. I've had it for a few hours now. I will be returning it this evening and getting another Pebble Steel. If I can convince them to give me a full refund, I might wait for the Pebble Time.
When I brought the 360 home, it was at 12% battery life. This was to be expected. I was able to turn it on for about 30 seconds before auto-shutdown. I set a timer. It took 2 hours and 33 minutes to fully charge. It immediately wanted to upgrade after turning it on and completing setup. (v5.0.2)
It has been 4 hours and I'm down to 27%. Granted I've used the watch more than I normally would as I get used to the menus, but this is not acceptable. If I reduce it to what I consider to be normal use, it will not last the day.
The watch is glitchy and doesn't always register touch. When I am able to navigate to the menu I want, the watch will frequently and randomly vibrate and shut itself off while I'm in the middle of something (the same behavior as it I had covered it with my palm). This is beyond annoying.
About 50% of the time, the watch fails to turn the display on when I lift my arm (the standard lift and rotate gesture shown on the youtube videos). I've put this through extensive testing, and the exact same gesture (what I've found to be the most effective) is only effective about 50% of the time.
The heart rate monitor doesn't work. The strap is on tight and I have actually cleared a part of my arm of hair to test it. I have never been able to get a successful heart rate. I even got my girlfriend to try it. The lights on the back come on, but nobody is home.
Most of the best watch faces and apps require a purchase. I suppose this is by intention (the designers do deserve to profit from their designs). But the real annoyance is that there is a lot of bait-and-charge software too. Software that claims to be free on the Play store, only to find it severely handicapped until you pay via an in-app purchase. AFAIK this is a big kick in the teeth for the Android Wear community and a major drawback. It won't turn away the hardened Android fan-boys who already have invested in the apps they like, but it will turn of a lot of people on the fence. If you are gonna charge for your app, at least be up-front about it. Its shady as hell.
Furthermore, I've detected that there appears to be a lot of very similar watch faces. The comments and reviews indicate that there is rampant design theft and doesn't appear to be any checks in place to prevent this. As such, I have no idea that when I am purchasing a watch app, that I'm giving money to the original artist or a plagiarist.
Not all circular watch faces will render correctly. The "flat tire" utility bay will cut some of them off.
The watch is not visible in direct sunlight. I don't care what the reviews say. I was outside in the bright sunlight today and I could barely read the watch face.
The vibration is not strong enough. When the Pebble Steel vibrated, it was very strong, but not intrusively so. This watch I can hardly even feel when I'm expecting it. Not acceptable.
Step counter doesn't work, but this is to be expected. Even the Pebble Steel was off. I've always maintained that wrist based pedometers are a fad and can't tell what your legs are doing.
Sorry for being critical, but you did presumably ask for honest opinions. I suppose it is subjective, but the 360 isn't for me. It feels very Beta. Maybe the 360 2 will get it right, but this watch is a pass IMO.
I been wanting a new gadget to play with.
I bought someone's NIB black refurb off CL for $120. So far it's been a cool experience. I don't regret my purchase. YMMV it's a personal thing.
I bought a SONY smart watch. Turned it on, could figure out anything, couldn't get it pair. Turn it off, left it in the shopping bag somewhere.
pacificwing said:
Sorry for being critical, but you did presumably ask for honest opinions. I suppose it is subjective, but the 360 isn't for me. It feels very Beta. Maybe the 360 2 will get it right, but this watch is a pass IMO.
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Click to collapse
Anyone with a 360 could have told you now was not the time to buy...
Motorola still haven't figured out the 5.1 update, and the previous update seriously hurt battery life and the tilt-to-wake function. Right now we're all in the same boat, just trying to keep the thing working properly till the end of the day...
The original software on the 360 was very responsive and had good battery life so we know it can work, but our only hope now is that Motorola's team of trained chimpanzee coders manages to set it right.
Motorola Moto 360 (2014) Smart Watch Review
First off, yes you read the title correctly. This is a review of the original 360 and not the brand new one. Why you may ask, well in part because I’ve been meaning to write this for ages and partly because there are simply somethings that you do not pick up on if you have used a device for 2 weeks. Something’s you discover only when you have lived with something for a long time and its only then you discover that there are things, had you been aware of, you may not have bothered getting one. Think of it like a marriage. The first while is all fun and laughter but time can breed contempt. So how well has the 360 held up? Should you snap one up cheap and what lessons have we learnt going forward? Let’s see shall we.
First Impressions: Ahhh casting the mind far back into the depths and it arriving in its round box. Ooh so pretty. Inside the watch itself, round too sitting there, it looks bloody good. They have gone out of their way to make you think that the 360 is a watch, not a smart phone or tiny computer, it’s a watch, round and above all a joy for the eyes to behold and well…………… they pretty much nailed it. The 360 was pretty much the unquestioned pretty one among the first wave of Android Wear devices. It is deserved.
Picking it up and it feels so plush and quality. The strap is real dead cow and feels nice to the touch, the facia with its bare metal glass. So much pretty and quality to the touch. I’m not wild about leather straps, I’d rather metal but it seems that Motorola decided that they couldn’t use standard watch strap fittings. I don’t know if it’s just to be awkward but it’s a bloody annoyance. Something that the new one has corrected so clearly Moto picked up on the feedback. Additionally while the leather strap looks nice it has a traditional buckle mechanism, which is not the most straightforward for taking on and off with regularity. This is going to be an issue going forward.
Specifications: Display 1.56” 320 x 290, 205 ppi, Backlit LCD IPS, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3, Watch Case Dimensions, 46 mm diameter x 11.5 mm high, Weight 60 g (without strap), Battery 320 mAh Wireless charging with charging dock included, Processor TI OMAP™ 3, Memory 4 GB internal storage with 512 MB RAM, Connectivity Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, Wi-Fi, Sensors Pedometer (9-axis sensor), Ambient light sensor, Optical heart rate monitor (PPG), Water Resistance IP67
It also comes in 2 colours, black or silver and a few strap combos too. Though they are proprietary watch straps which is just odd. I mean why do it, urgh.
Accessories: It came with a charger with a built in USB cable, grr. It also came with its little charging dock and a normal micro USB cable for it. If you want more things, like more straps or screen covers, as ever hit up eBay. Sad that they didn’t use normal watch strap attachments but for a bit more money you can still get a fair assortment of straps.
Fit/Comfort: Perfectly fine. It’s a watch, granted it’s a little big for a watch but not wildly so. On it went, and that was basically it. I’d have preferred a metal strap but not enough to go to the bother of actually changing the strap myself.
Screen: AMOLED lovely gorgeous prettiness. The screen is also mostly round, with what’s been dubbed the “flat tire” at the bottom. When the 360 first came out feelings were mixed, some didn’t mind and that thought that it was a good trade-off for having super thin bezels. It’s a shame both perfectly round and thin bezels can’t be had but……. in use you just pick a facia that doesn’t light up the whole screen. Something that isn’t noticeably missing the bottom and then honestly, I didn’t really miss it. Sure when playing with watch faces, perfectly round ones with something obviously missing was the only time it bothered me. Most of the time in use, I didn’t only not mind but I never really even noticed it was there. You just forget that there is anything missing.
However……………… while the “flat tire” thing didn’t bother me what did was the round screen. Does a round screen look pretty, oh god yes it does. Then it’s an AMOLED which just looks sooooooooooooooo pretty it’s just gorgeous, there is just no way around the fact that the 360 is a lovely, super pretty thing. Thing is, there is a reason why we use rectangular monitors and TV’s. A round screen is just stupid. The UI clearly wants things to be square and text especially gets partially cut off at the top and bottom of the screen where it rounds off. It just hammers the functionality and having a Moto 360 and a Sony Smart Watch 3, the Sony is the one I pick up and want to use every day.
UI: Android Wear is Android Wear. It’s in a reasonably rapid state of development still being only a year old. On the whole it’s good, however there is still the screen, rounded and thus missing bits from the top and bottom, issue. The UI is just simply not made with round screens in mind and thus it’s a pain. However the problem is the round face and not the UI in my opinion. Trying not to turn this into an Android Wear review which is a different article entirely. However expect things like swiping in from the upper left to be regularly, mildly frustrating. It’s not terrible but I did get on my nerves.
Features: So the stand out things on the 360, for me, are the round screen, its stunningly good looks, its heart rate sensor and lastly its Qi charging. Now if you are in the know you’ll notice that those are basically the differentiation points between the 360 and the Sony 3.
So that round screen. See above frankly. Pretty but at the price of usability. It really is very pretty but the cost for me is just too high. However if you kept this maybe just for going out of an evening, when pretty really matters then great. It is such a pretty thing.
Heart rate, well it kinda works but it doesn’t seem to continuously monitor so while it is interesting, if you’re a fitness freak why would you be using this device? It would be like wearing dress evening shoes for running. It’ll do the job but it’s clearly the wrong tool for activity.
Qi. Ahhh you know I love Qi charging and I can tell you that every watch should have it. That you slap it down in its little dock, you can instantly see that it’s charging, that any Qi charger works are all boons. It makes charging the thing every night (and you will be charging it every night) not just into a requirement but it turns into a little clock. It lights up with a clock face in the right orientation. Just perfect for living on a bedside table. All Wear watches should have Qi charging.
Build Quality: On the surface, its perfect. The construction quality is exemplary and it’s simply beauteous to behold to both the eye and the fingers. Note that while perfectly built it doesn’t mean you can’t break it. The watch straps and put under pressure can shatter the back screen. While that’s fairly rare it’s a stupid design flaw not a manufacturing issue.
Usability: Take a wild guess what causes a usability issue? Yep that round screen. While it wasn’t as awkward as the Sun S2 with its bevelled edge making it hard to touch things near the edges. The 360 is clean glass right to the edge so you can access it all perfectly. The issue is that the UI is clearly intended for a rectangular screen. So that isn’t really the 360’s fault per say but you get the idea. It doesn’t make anything impossible to do or really much different but a square screen would just be better.
Battery: Well it has a 360mAh battery. The battery is not the issue though, the issue is the screen. That super pretty AMOLED screen you see, needs to be actively transmitting light to be seen. It is an emissive screen and its battery hungry. Then you have the option to have it auto light up with a flick of the wrist or you can have it run in a dim passive mode most of the time so it’s something you can glance at and see. This however is battery destroying. Leaving the screen on and the battery life just plummets like a lead weight. If you make use of the thing or have the dim always lit up feature in use then expect to start charging the thing halfway through your day. I get that the battery itself isn’t the problem, nor can it really grew much physically but that’s not my problem, it’s for Moto engineers to solve. Even if you use it without passively being on still expect the thing to want charged every single night.
Connectivity: So its main method of world communication is via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy. That’s great, it pairs to your phone, the phone does the thinking and data transmission all over that power sipping Bluetooth connection. You also have the option to use Wi-Fi. You can use it to keep your phone and watch in communication, via Wi-Fi and the internet. You know, for when your phone is out of Bluetooth range yet you still need to be connected to it, if not physically near it. Why you may wonder, I certainly did. The only scenario I can see it popping up is if at work you go to the bathroom, leaving your phone behind but are waiting for some urgent email. You need that notification that it’s come in. It’s a stretch I know, mostly it’s a stupid feature that just further hammers the battery. Of course you can just leave Wi-Fi off which is what I do.
Value: When it launched it was what, £200. So pretty but yeah that battery life. Now with its successor just announced, this will have practically identical functionality and features. Seriously they changed almost nothing, as I see it they have added a smaller one for girls, moved the button up a bit and altered the strap attachment to that of a normal standard watch. Like every other watch on earth. Price though, well this one’s fallen so I saw somewhere selling it for £113. The New one is retailing for US$300, that’s £200 and that’s before VAT and the obligatory you’re not an American price hike. So that makes the old one probably less than half the price of the new one. To me that seems like pretty reasonable value in comparison to the new one.
Conclusion: So what have I learned from the Moto 360 (2014.) I’ve learned that pretty only gets you so far. The 360 is pretty, it’s the prettiest Android Wear device I have seen and the old one, to me is still better looking than the new one. I get that while I *****ed about the straps being some weird proprietary thing and that it can break the glass back of you put them under pressure but…… damn it’s a good looking device. If you want a Wear watch for going out, to look great in a business meeting to impress someone for whatever reason or situation the old 360 is a damn fine looking machine. Oh and that AMOLED, ooooooh just soooooooooooooooooo much pretty.
However, those good looks have left it compromised. Round screen, they are just awkward and there is a reason we don’t use round screens or round sheets of paper, it’s a pain. That strap, the weird fit attachment. Yeah, so for me that means I’m pretty much not changing the strap. I’d really like one with a clasp rather than a buckle because the battery life is such that you need to take the damn thing off every 20 min to charge it. Granted its little dock is cool but you really need one for the office and one for your bedside. Though in fairness any old Qi charger will do fine. AMOLED, it’s just the wrong tech for a watch. I need always on to glance ta the thing and that while better than lighting up a whole LCD screen it is still too battery heavy.
So should you buy one? Well I’d easily buy this over its successor, its price slash makes it waaaaaaaaay better value and offers practically identical functionality and features. Still you have to want to sacrifice usability to get that super pretty round screen. for me, na I’ll take the Sony but if you want something to visually impress on a budget, the old Moto 360 is pretty (oh so pretty) option that won’t destroy your wallet.
The screen on Moto 360 is LCD and not AMOLED. AMOLED will be better for a watch because it consume less battery for always on screen with mainly dark background.
Moto 360 1nd and 2nd are LCD IPS
LG Watch R / Urbane are P-OLED
Huawei Watch are OMOLED
Hey everyone,
So I like to bike maybe once a week and have typically used Map My Ride or Strava to, well, map my rides. But I'm on Project Fi now so am becoming a miser with my data. I was thinking of getting a SW3 and using GhostRacer and the built in GPS to handle that but wanted to see if it is still worth it. I know the 360 Sport is around but the reviews haven't been stellar. Assuming the price is in the $100-$125 range is it still worth it?
I do also go to the gym a couple of days a week so keeping music on the watch and using headphones is a plus as well.
Thanks,
I owned both SW3 and Moto 360 Sport, however I just sold the 360 Sport yesterday because the battery drained on it a lot faster than on the SW3. I prefered the look of the Moto 360 Sport over the SW3 even though I own the SS, Universal strap and silicone strap for the SW3. Both are also water resistant.
Here is a breakdown of pro and cons.
The display of both watches are similar other than round vs square, however the Moto display is a bit nicer with more vibrant colors and while in ambient mode it's in color vs b&w.
Moto 360 Sport also has a built in optical HR monitor SW3 does not.
SW3 has replaceable watch band, infinite combination, Moto 360 Sport comes in White, Black, and Orange and you can not replace the bands.
Again, battery life is night and day better on the SW3 additionally you can charge is with any Micro USB cable vs a proprietary wireless charger. Additionally SW3 charges really fast, almost 2X faster than Moto 360 Sport.
SW3 has built in NFC, you can't do much with it now but future updates may give you more options.
I haven't used either watch with the headphones, so I can't comment on that aspect of the watch.
So I would say go with SW3 and save some money, you'll have no regrets.
Had the SW3 for about 6 months now and I love it. I use it for tracking runs, playing music paired with BT headphones and for keeping track of my appointments. It's great for the price, but I suggest holding out a while longer until announcements for support (or lack thereof) for Android Wear 2.0 come out. Motorola has confirmed it won't be getting the software update for the 1st gen Moto360, so there's a good chance the SW3 won't either..so you might be better off getting one of the newer models. I'm thinking the price might still go down if it won't support AW 2.0, but if it does, at the current price it's a steal.
pawces said:
Motorola has confirmed it won't be getting the software update for the 1st gen Moto360, so there's a good chance the SW3 won't either..so you might be better off getting one of the newer models.
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Because first gen has bad processor and bad battery.
SW3 has same processor than Moto 2nd gen and other actual wear watch.
dersie said:
Because first gen has bad processor and bad battery.
SW3 has same processor than Moto 2nd gen and other actual wear watch.
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I won't get my hopes up. It may have the hardware requirements , but seeing as the SW3 was the last of the 1st gen devices to get the recent android update, Sony may not be too keen on putting any more effort into the device. Still a great device for the price it's going for now though, and a good entry point into Android Wear for minimal $. Just bear in mind that when purchasing any piece of tech, it's bound to become obsolete in a year or so, simply because that's how fast technology is evolving. Hardly anything is future-proof these days.
I have this watch for a couple of months now and yes I absolutely love it. Might even buy a second one, for no other reason than having a spare, just in case. I'm sad that smart watches aren't really popular - I'd love to have a SW3 with better hardware and a heart rate sensor - but this watch is great. I use it for stuff like skating and thanks to the great location tracking, I can safely leave my phone at home, and when I'm back it will sync my whole route. This took a looong time the last time I did it, but ok, I rode for 30km so that's probably a lot of data to sync. Now I can see my entire route back on Google Fit. I really love that.
As a sysadmin I also use my watch for easy notifications, and for dispatching tasks to Tasker, using WearTasker. It's great that I don't need to take my phone each time I get a notification. This also applies to when I'm driving - using my phone when I'm on the road is something I absolutely never do, and now, when I get a message, I get it on my watch, so at least I can see if it's something urgent.
The voice capabilities work well enough to also make this a lovable feature.
The rubber wrist band fits nicely. I also bought a, what's the name, the plastic thing in which you can fit a band of your own choice. But I like the rubber band a lot more.
The display works great with a screen protector and the light sensor also works good.
All in all.. what's there not to love about this watch?
Have had mine for about seven months now. Overall I'm very happy with the watch and will probably (hopefully) keep it for a long time.
I'm most impressed by the battery life, which is great, and the durability of the display. I'm very neurotic about my phone's screen, always using tempered glass protectors, but I've worn the SW3 without any kind of screen condom pretty much all the time for over half a year, and the display still looks like brand spanking new. Thing is tough, is what I'm saying.
I just went through all of this myself when my original SW3 broke. I went through all of the available smartwatches and started narrowing them down. I like running but hate taking my phone because of its size (6p). I found an awesome Amazon Warehouse deal on a 360 Sport. The band is a deal breaker. Plain and simple. Its awful. Everything sticks to it and it was uncomfortable for me. This wouldn't be an issue normally, but you cannot replace the band...ever. Also, potential issue with the 360 Sport is IP67 water resistance vs IP68 on the Sony SW3.
I also tried the Samsung Gear S due to its IP68 rating and heart rate. While the fit and finish is above and beyond what the SW3 has to offer, I missed the always-on TFT screen, Wear, Google Now (voice commands work amazingly well), and my customized Watchmaker Premium face (with Tasker integration .
I would still choose the SW3 today due to these things: battery life (2 days not uncommon), TFT display (always on without killing battery-visible in direct sunlight), ambient light sensor (I'm looking at you Huawei and Asus), microUSB charging (yes, it's kinda a pain, but you can charge anywhere-getting a right-angle USB cable helps make it less annoying to plug in), and interchangeable bands (I have 2 bands now. They are comfortable for me and quick clasp). Lack of heart rate does not bother me b/c I don't think any wrist-based HR is accurate enough to matter.
Note: I use my SW3 with headphones all the time. Works great. Syncing music is cake with Play Music, though, since it has USB, I would prefer if it supported MTP and you could just drag and drop whatever straight to the device. Definitely not a problem, just annoying to have to wait for all your offline music to sync over BT.
My main issue with my SW3 is the very very.... poor readability indoor in dim mode. With low light it is very difficult to read. And with only black & white dim mode most of the wear face are very bad. Even the pebble time LCD screen color is much better
Good outdoor 1% of the time but bad indoor 99% of the time.
dersie said:
My main issue with my SW3 is the very very.... poor readability indoor in dim mode. With low light it is very difficult to read. And with only black & white dim mode most of the wear face are very bad. Even the pebble time LCD screen color is much better
Good outdoor 1% of the time but bad indoor 99% of the time.
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Click to collapse
I will say that the LCD in the SW3 is not the best for viewing angles and resolution. However, readability is never an issue for me. The main reason is the ambient light sensor. I tried a Zenwatch 2 (which is a nice watch for the money), but the lack of the ambient light sensor meant the screen was always too dim or too bright. I don't want to fiddle with brightness every time I go outside or back inside. Yes, the always on TFT mode is going not the greatest for inside, but that's not its point. Still, sitting here at my desk under weak, florescent light, I can read it perfectly at a glance. That is another selling point for this watch. It is fairly useful as a watch...lol.
I am bit disappointed with my SW3, or more with Android Wear actually.
Besides notifications I have not been able to find much use for it. I had Pebble for two years and loved the way it handled notifications, with a certain third party app though. IMO Android Wear is quite clumsy and I miss more customisation options especially with the way notifications are handled. My battery lasts about a day and a night. For a smartwatch I guess that is not bad but I do miss Pebble's several days of juice.
So I am not sure if I would buy one now that I have used SW3 for few months...
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Which Smart Watch?
I own the Sony S3 Smartwatch, the Samsung Gear S2 and two Moto 360 2nd generation watches. Yes, I have four smart watches for no reason other than I love gadgets. I also owned the Huawei smart watch for about a week before I exchanged it for a Moto 360. The Huawei is great but I have huge wrists. So the Moto looks best on my wrist. Anyway, I use each watch for different activities. Each watch has it's pros and cons and correlates directly to which activities they are best for. For instance, the Sony Smartwatch has the best waterproof rating. So I wear the Sony to the beach and for playing beach volleyball (any activity with the possibility of submersion). The Sony is also one of the only watches with on-board GPS. That's great when you want to track your movement without lugging the phone around with you. The Samsung Gear S2 is probably the most versatile and it's sort of a hybrid between a sports watch and a casual dinner watch (depends on which band you install). The Samsung works great in every aspect and is probably the best overall performer but you cannot wear it as a luxury piece. It just does not have the look of a luxury piece. That's where the Moto 360 2nd Gen comes into play. The Moto performs great but you don't want to wear it playing beach volleyball. The Moto is designed to look like a luxury time piece and it looks the part. Of course the stock straps with the Moto are absolute garbage. You will want to order good thick leather straps online (or nice stainless steel). Once you have installed the new 3rd party strap your Moto will look very much like a fine time piece similar to a Breitling, Tagheur, Omega, etc.... Then you just need to use the Watchmaker premium app to download hundreds of custom watch faces that resemble luxury time pieces. In conclusion, if you want the smart watch solely for exercise I suggest the Sony S3. If you want a very nice (large) watch that looks like a Rolex I'd suggest the Moto 360 (46 mm). If you want a smart watch for the office and exercising I'd suggest the Samsung Gear S2. Most importantly, all three of these watches are top performers with good processors and great screens. So the only thing that differs greatly is the appearance of the piece itself.