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First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
I still don't understand why people think we care why or even that they are returning their devices.
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akellar said:
I still don't understand why people think we care why or even that they are returning their devices.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Classic reply! But I invite serious thoughts and suggestions that other users can use to make an informed decision for buying Moto 360 or Wear device.
Thanks.
sshark said:
First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all screen and marketing until they actually put the thing on the market and it works.
Exactly how many choices do you have when buying an apple phone? Two models and a choice ($$$) of memory.... Wee! Did you catch the part where they said the iwatch will have about a day of power? Will that be average in 2015?
I will stick with cutting edge choice. You have more vendors producing wear watches the further we get so we have many more product cycles in play.
dottat said:
It's all screen and marketing until they actually put the thing on the market and it works.
Exactly how many choices do you have when buying an apple phone? Two models and a choice ($$$) of memory.... Wee! Did you catch the part where they said the iwatch will have about a day of power? Will that be average in 2015?
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I think you are missing the point. I am not thinking about buying Watch, I would just like Wear to be more polished. Seems like if Google has strategy, they haven't forcefully executed the strategy so that average consumer knows what product roadmap will look like. As for power, today's TIZEN and some Wear watches do offer longer battery life. I am not sure why Moto chose to go with older processor and what implications it has on battery life.
dottat said:
I will stick with cutting edge choice. You have more vendors producing wear watches the further we get so we have many more product cycles in play.
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Exactly my thoughts...until I see 2nd or 3rd cycle of products, I will sit on sidelines.
sshark said:
I think you are missing the point. I am not thinking about buying Watch, I would just like Wear to be more polished. Seems like if Google has strategy, they haven't forcefully executed the strategy so that average consumer knows what product roadmap will look like. As for power, today's TIZEN and some Wear watches do offer longer battery life. I am not sure why Moto chose to go with older processor and what implications it has on battery life.
Exactly my thoughts...until I see 2nd or 3rd cycle of products, I will sit on sidelines.
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My point is the single producer product line and marketing is all apple has. They put on a good show. Problem is the features on their phones are old to most android users. They talked about a watch that isn't real yet. It's not on the market. It's os isn't on any device yet. So they market and market.
Android is our os. We have separate manufacturers using this os which leaves each manufacturer to market their own distinct features. I think Motorola marketed this watch pretty well. For using an old chip, they are still having a hard time keeping stock. I personally think mine is great. Battery lasts all day for me. Os improvements will come. Google promised them often. This is cutting edge on Google time, not apple. Sorry you didn't like it, hope by gen2 you will.
I find it funny that I've heard SO many people bad talk square smartwatches and say how ugly they are, especially Apple fans. But now that Apple announced a SQUARE smartwatch they all think it's the best invention ever.
I have a Moto 360 and I'm still learning things it can do. It is a wide open platform with tons of innovation happening. Good value.
I watched the Apple September event, second hour on Watch, and LOL'd at all the fake prototype and incomplete demonstrations. Saying the Watch is *ahead* of the Moto 360 is ignorance. You actually believe everything you saw was working? Really?
But, you can drink whatever kool-aid Apple is selling and I don't care. Just remember Google is killing them on services like Maps, Search, and Voice. So, my opinion for Apple fan boys is put up or shut up. Let us see WHAT and WHEN they ACTUALLY ship something, and how it compares AT THAT TIME with Android Wear.
Good luck.
Can Administrators please lock this thread?
sshark said:
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time.
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Click to collapse
I couldn't tell if you were being serious or not. If you watched the same thing I did I cant see how you thought that watch was anything but a incredibly ugly kids toy. Drawing pictures on a tiny watch screen and sending heartbeats is a joke. What adults would do that? Seriously?
In reality you are comparing a real life product to apple$ over hyped marketing material for the watch not the actual watch itself with it's shortcomings. Did you know it has a days worth of battery? They conveniently didn't mention that except to a CNBC analyst afterwords and that they weren't happy with it. I bet it has WORSE battery life than the 360.
IMO the 360 is light years ahead of the apple watch.
It appears to me Apple is trying to make a computer for your wrist where as android wear is meant to be a companion. In this way I think less is more and wear is simply a better product.
I don't get the battery complaints.. My 360 is sitting at 50% after about 13hrs of pretty decent use.
Wear will continue to get better but as it stands I think its pretty steller. Apple's product is confusing and more over currently doesn't really exist.
Well, coming from a pebble and loved the openness of that platform. Then tried the LG G Watch and thought to myself that it couldn't be up to par. I found myself flipping both my kickstarter pebble and pebble steel within a day of usage of the LG G Watch. I drank the kool-aid and chose android wear not of what it can do now, even though it did as much as my pebble does in my case, it was the potential. So I can see where you are coming from the prime time statement. But as a pretty heavy user when it comes to data, I can see android wear leaping real far when it comes to Android L. I don't foresee L being polished either, but I just see the potential that android wear has scratched the surface and the devs will have heaps of fun with this platform. I mean just look at the facer app.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
j2eubank said:
It appears to me Apple is trying to make a computer for your wrist where as android wear is meant to be a companion. In this way I think less is more and wear is simply a better product.
I don't get the battery complaints.. My 360 is sitting at 50% after about 13hrs of pretty decent use.
Wear will continue to get better but as it stands I think its pretty steller. Apple's product is confusing and more over currently doesn't really exist.
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Click to collapse
THIS.
If you spent any time on your android wear device (or any smartwatch), you'll realize that trying to turn your wrist device into a mini-smartphone is a stupid proposition when (1) the screen is small (2) forms of input are limited, and most importantly (3) a smartphone is literally right in your pocket.
Google understands this well, since most everything in Android Wear is completed with 2 or fewer swipes OR with pure voice. Apple will fail in this regard. Imagine trying to find your app in a sea of apps on a 1.X inch screen, then having to zoom into a group of apps to select your intended app. Sounds WAY more fun than just pulling out your phone and getting the task done without all the frustration.
Anybody who has tried to actually do anything meaningful on a smart watch while *walking* knows that it's an exercise in frustration.
This is the one time that Google took the simpler method, and will win out because of it.
Plus, the apple watch is vapor until next year, anyways.
This whole idea of wearables is still "new" so it's expected to have different opinions from both sides. I was an iPhone user when they first released the iPhone and got all the iPhones until the iPhone 5. But like someone else said, it got boring because the OS was the same. Now I consider my self a hardcore android user and so is everyone else in the family.
Anyway, I also bought Moto 360 and used it for about a week extensively. But after using it for a while, I realized the OS just doesn't have a lot of use for me PERSONALLY. I wear a real watch and it was a choice of wearing a Moto 360 or a mechanical watch. This whole idea of charging every night just didn't work for me as I had to carry my pad everywhere. But some of the things that I do miss are the Google Now where I can just talk to my watch and find out information without pulling out my phone and opening apps. This DOES have a lot of potential for the future when the developers start making exciting apps for it but for now, it just depends on the user on what their looking for. Meanwhile, my friend has this was and he said it's sufficient for his needs and it's worth it.
Realistically, people should not give Moto 360 bad rating just because it doesn't have the features that their Android 4.4 has.We said the something when Google first released the first Android OS. Just give it time and see what they bring out.
sshark said:
First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
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Click to collapse
It's a geek toy and, unless you have mental problems, you are AWARE about what you are buying.
Also I can bet my car that after Apple revealed its watch specs the next Motorola watch will be ways better.
It's up to you and you only.
Just my 2 cents. :L
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1
sshark said:
First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a geek toy and, unless you have mental problems, you are AWARE about what you are buying.
Also I can bet my car that after Apple revealed its watch specs the next Motorola watch will be ways better.
It's up to you and you only.
Just my 2 cents.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1
sshark said:
First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely disagree with you.
I am also a big Android user, I watched the Apple Watch presentation and I cannot be happier with AW after it. Yes Apple is a trendsetter, yes it would be blind to not see what else the market has to offer however you are comparing Apples and Pears
AW is said to be and IS a "notifications and information to your wrist" platform in order to avoid constantly checking your phone because a heavy user can check is phone up to 160 times a day but really just gets the info without even acting on it more more than 50% of the time. AW gets you the information easily and you are done because you do not intend to act on it.
Whereas Apple Watch took a different path, a "subsidiary" of the iPhone. It does not replace but it complements with phone functions. WhoTF needs to have a map on their wrist with a crown to zoom in? AW give you directions if you need direction. If you need precise map tools, you have a 4"+ screen in your pocket or purse.
I think you should move to iOS all together and zoom in / zoom out on maps on your wrist if you think AW is mistaken and if you think that Apple Watch really gave you a mini orgasm while AW didn't
On my side, I am happy to have my statusbar on my wrist. I do not need more than that, I do not want more than that. I have a 4.95" screen in my pocket and a watch is not going to make me leave it in there to be just a mini Bluetooth hotspot for the watch.
:laugh:
@parth6512, is right. It comes down to how it works for you personally.
For me it's a great addition.
1) I wanted a new watch. Done.
2) I leave my phone sitting on my radio playing Pandora when I work as a plumber. Now when I get a text or phone call, I don't need to go see who it is. If it's a text I know what it is and can reply by voice if I'd like too and if it's a call I can accept it since my earpiece is usually in.
I actually find myself using my BT earpiece more than I was before now.
And to compare some pictures of a watch to an actual device is just silly.
And who wants to pinch to zoom on their watch? And to try and look at a map rather than just get your turn notifications? That's just bizarre.
I'll pull out my phone to look at a map. That's what a 5.5" screen is for.
I just ordered my moto 360, I think it is the prettiest smart watch in market right now, and the omap processor is not a deal breaker in anyway( it's a watch, you won't be playing hardcore games on it). I would brvsingvmy moto 360 n weekends and special occasions, whereas my weekdays watch would be tgevlgvg watch. As indicated by the reviewers, the battery would last a single day(not a problem at all).
I watch-fugly, cartoonish, over hyped piece of junk
sshark said:
First I am die-hard Android enthusiast and have had several Androids over the years.
But after watching Apple Watch keynote address, it became clear to me that Wear is not yet ready for prime time. Wear is still in its infancy and looks like Google is not interested in giving finished product. Just like Android itself, Google will take its own time to develop slick and chic platform while we keep on buying mediocre/cut rate products.
Looking at screens from Apple Watch, either something drastic has to happen for Wear platform to bring functionality or just plain wait.
As for, Moto 360, form is a beauty but I couldn't justify investing 250 quids for 4-year old processor and average battery life. I am going to wait until other manufacturers come up with better watches (with up to date infrastructure) and Wear itself is more user friendly!
Good ride with Moto 360 for 72 hours, while it lasted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's funny how people are so different. I watch the Apple announcement video and tried very hard but couldn't find much to like about the Apple watch. It's visual appearance is what surprised me. Apple is usually the best looking product available. But I wouldn't put them in the top two with the one they showed on stage. Square? Really? It looks like a thick brick. It will not fit under a buttoned shirt sleeve.
As to the operation of the watch, Leo Laporte summed up the Apple watch pretty succinctly: "It looks like it was designed for Japanese school girls. "
Yeah, I completely disagree as well. I wonder what most people are looking for out of a smartwatch. I like the notifications and the actual watch part. There isn't a whole lot more than I want to do with it. Some quick access apps will be nice in time as they are built, but watching the Apple presentation makes it looks like their watch does almost as much as their phone, and doesn't do it very well. Instead of the Apple of old in the Jobs era where they'd come out with less features for a good clean platform to start and add more with time, they've piled very feature they could into an ugly package, with a very poor UI.
Don't get me wrong, I love that Apple came out with their watch. I love that it does all of this, but only to help fuel the competition. It's hard to say which is "better". It's fairly clear the Apple Watch does "more", but I think it does so in a very poor manner. The launcher, the silly digital crown, the pointless "features" like drawing on a tiny screen on your wrist. More isn't always better. There's a reason why they didn't talk about battery life. You know if it was worth talking about, they would have. Maybe smartwatches can evolve into more powerful devices, but they need to evolve there as we learn better ways to design the hardware AND software of a unique device, rather than try to stuff it all into a first gen device. I think the next version of the Apple Watch will be toned down quite a bit and will be much cleaner and more usable, but it marks an interesting change as Apple's first big "new" product since Jobs left and it shows a new attitude in the company where absolute refinement is no longer forefront.
For now, I'm perfectly happy for a nice clean and minimal design that tells me the time and gives me notifications. While I do wish for some changes, fixes, updates, and all that, a new version of Wear will be coming soon and I'm good with what I've got until then. This is a very much polarized topic as it applies not only to technology choice but fashion choice as well, and with the fashion sense of most of the "smartwatch type" people I know, it should be entertaining to say the least.
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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Click to collapse
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,
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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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...
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
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.
Hello!
So my LG Watch R has been dying slowly...from many dead pixels to not hearing very well when I give commands any more.
Because of what LG tried to do to LG Watch R owners when the Urbane was coming out, I will NOT support LG by buying their products so I am looking for a new watch and it seems the Huawei is the only one I like. The new Urbanes are kind of ugly anyways and I do not want any flat tire displays.
What is the current status of the Huawei watch guys....pros and cons? Anything to look forward any time soon that runs Android Wear?
I own a Huawei Mediapad X2 which I love but is not without some issues (mainly GPS having to restart after a while for it to work again).
Thanks!
Hi Shaolin,
I recently upgraded from the Moto 360 (1st Gen) to the Huawei Watch after my watch fully messed up.
All around, it's a much better watch. Faster, the battery life is great, and no flat tire. The speaker is a big draw but is not very loud and almost impossible to hear unless you put it up to your ear in moderately loud places (like grocery stores). That being said, I honestly feel like my Moto was more responsive to voice commands. Considering the main draw of an Android Wear device is the ability to use voice commands, this is actually kind of a big deal. If I had known what I know now, I might have just upgraded to the Moto 360 2nd Gen. The Huawei Watch is also just slightly on the too thick side.
Don't get me wrong, I really like it... But I loved my 360. If I had the choice knowing what I know today, it would be a 50/50 decision between the two... Maybe even an extra percent or two toward to 360 based on my experience with the first gen.
Hope this helps!
I did the exact same upgrade a few days ago and for pretty much the same reasons. On top of that my G4 died 2 weeks ago, so no more LG for me. What I noticed is a bit worse is the vibration. I just can't feel it at all. Other than that it feels like an all around upgrade