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.
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
I got my zenwatch yesterday and I can't seem to get the heart rate or the relaxation to work right. My heart rate is always extremely high and I have yet to get a sucessful relaxation reading as it times out. Anyone having the same issues or advice on using this, it's pretty much useless to me now?
iirc those heart rate sensors are only to get a very rough approximation. None of 'em work right, from Asus to Samsung.
CrashTestDroid said:
iirc those heart rate sensors are only to get a very rough approximation. None of 'em work right, from Asus to Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will tell you the microsoft band one does. I put it on in the mall and my heart rate showed what it should be continously. The Zenwatch is all over the place giving me readings that are what Im at on a treadmill. Still like the zenwatch for other reasons, but I would not even advertise a feature as flaky as the heart rate monitor or relaxtion gizmo on this thing.
I have found that Google's Fit app fails to get a heartrate, but I get a very accurate reading from Asus Wellness. Checked against manual reading from my pulse. Hopefully Google fixes their app as I prefer it to asus wellness.
It's pretty flaky, but I get a better reading if my fingers are not super-dry when touching the bezel.
I also get better results if I try to make sure that the hand touching the watch isn't touching any other bare skin or clothing, i.e. don't allow the touching hand to rest on the other hand, on your chest, etc.
At least the heart rate monitor isn't on 24/7 with no option to turn it off like the Moto360. This is one of the watch's selling points, IMO. I couldn't care less if my watch has a heart rate monitor. But since you can't seem to buy a watch that doesn't have one, whether it gives accurate readings or not, at least I can just not use it and forget it's there. Useless feature anyway, even if it is working properly. When you're working strenuously your pulse increases, when you're resting it's decreased. What deference does it make if you know the precise rate?
I agree that the Wellness app seems to be more accurate than the Google Fit app. I still want to test out the RunKeeper app to see what it's interface and heartbeat recording is like. It took me a while but I found I get my best readings by resting my index finger on the bottom bezel below the watch... So far, it seems to be the most reliable way for me to get a reading.
Would you recommend to buy the watch if I am looking for a smartwatch?
Atomic Virus said:
Would you recommend to buy the watch if I am looking for a smartwatch?
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Click to collapse
It's still a good choice, and I don't regret getting mine. If you want to spend less than $200, get the Asus ZenWatch or the Moto 360, depending on which shape you like. If you want to spend more, I think you should also consider the Sony Smartwatch 3, the LG G Watch Urbane and the Huawei Watch. Also, there will probably be a new Moto 360 out in the coming months.
---------- Post added at 12:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------
panamakevin said:
I agree that the Wellness app seems to be more accurate than the Google Fit app. I still want to test out the RunKeeper app to see what it's interface and heartbeat recording is like. It took me a while but I found I get my best readings by resting my index finger on the bottom bezel below the watch... So far, it seems to be the most reliable way for me to get a reading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently installed an app called Cardiograph, that I've found a lot easier to get a good reading with than with Wellness or Fit.
2 days ago when trying to get my heart rate, I get the rate the moment I put my fingers on the watch, of course the rates are incorrect and they are not shown on my phone!
I am interested in a direct comparison from a dedicated fitness device vs moto 360 with fitness apps. Can or will it ever compare? 360 has a heart rate monitor, add a killer app and can it compete with Basis peak? or Fitbit Charge HR?
Any thoughts is appreciated!
riz
Well I have a fitbit flex and the 360 but I guess the 360 would hold up well except I wouldn't want to have a leather strap or metal that would get sweat on it...besides my step count is almost significantly lower on the moto 360 compared to my flex...just my 2¢
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.
Click to expand...
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.