Motorola Moto 360 review: Don't believe the hype

By Hunter Skipworth

The Moto 360 has been easily the most hyped of all the smartwatches set to go on sale. It's become the device that everyone wants to try Android Wear with.
Now it's finally here, how does it handle? In short, not as well as we had hoped, but it's still a lovely thing to look at.

The Good

• Design
• Android Wear keeps getting better
• Charging system

The Bad

• Screen
• Battery life

Design and HardwareThe Motorola 360 is as close as a smartwatch can come to what you would normally have on your wrist. Some clever press photography has made the device look a lot smaller than it is.
It's roughly the size of a 'big' wrist watch, say something like a Tag Heuer. This is not going to go unnoticed on your wrist like a Swatch might. In terms of pure numbers, it's 11.5mm thick and 46mm across. Bigger than the Apple Watch for definite.

© Digital Spy The included charging cradle

That said it's not so big that it's a burden. This is still a really nice device which is more than capable of impressing. This is largely due to the fact that its screen, a 1.56-inch 205 ppi unit, has very impressive black levels.
With the default Motorola designed watch face, it looks very good indeed. You've a screen that is so black, at a glance you can't really tell that it's a digital display. It's a neat trick and something we definitely like.
The problem is that up close, the small chin at the bottom of the display which houses all the hardware, breaks the illusion completely. Obviously Motorola had to put it somewhere, but it's a shame they didn't hide it elsewhere.
Really though, this is as premium a gadget as any. Having used the Apple Watch out at the launch in Cupertino, we can definitely say what Apple has put together is nicer, but Motorola's offering isn't far behind.

© Digital Spy Stock face looks best

We also really like the clever implementation of Wireless Qi charging standards into the back of the watch. It comes with a dock that you simply drop the device into and then you are away.
So then, Motorola has made easily the most desirable wearable out there, but is it all form and no function?

BatteryUh oh. It's that time again when we complain about the battery life on a piece of consumer electronics. Short of the Sony Xperia Z3, no device this year has really delivered battery life that feels suited to the tech of 2014.
Unfortunately the Moto 360 is no exception. Its 300 mAh battery just isn't big enough to get the device through the day. A recent update and the addition of an 'ambient mode' has definitely improved things.
The problem is that if you use the device to its fullest, you won't get through a day on a single charge. This is a big problem, especially given any other standard watch will last years before it needs a new battery.

© Motorola Multiple straps are available

Sadly though, current battery technology just can't cut it for smartwatches, someone is going to need to come up with something different if we want to really get a decent amount of usage out of them.

User experience and appsAndroid Wear is a bit of a marmite piece of tech right now. Some people can't see the point of it, while others are finally coming round to its ways.
We actually really like it. Give your life over to Google Now and the voice search, combined with clever suggestions and notifications on your wrist, is genuinely beneficial.
We also think that the simple tiled user interface is actually great. It never feels counter intuitive to use on a small screen and very rarely lags up or freezes.
Android Wear is also growing at a rapid rate, with more and more apps being added all the time. WhatsApp's voice reply feature is particularly handy, as are football results being beamed straight to your wrist.

Android Wear keeps getting better

Being round, the Moto 360 does sometimes look a tad off, with notifications not always wrapping round the display how you would expect. As more smartwatches go for the rounded look, expect this to get rectified pretty sharpish.

Verdict
The Moto 360 delivers on just about every promise it made in the hype around its launch. It looks great (if a little big) and we still stand by Android Wear as being a really exciting and fun concept.
The problem is, battery life lets it down. It's not alone in this though. No smartwatch has got it right yet. We are pretty sure Apple knows it is going to have to come up with something special for its own device if they don't want to get tarred with the same brush.
Problem is, lithium ion batteries and standard smartphone tech won't cut it. Wearables manufacturers need to look at what auto makers are doing with hybrid systems. Experiment, try regenerative battery work. The first company to get a week out of its watch will truly tick all the right boxes.

Credit: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/review/a600445/motorola-moto-360-review-dont-believe-the-hype.html#~oRNw2YXfFDoOFF#ixzz3FFk2ojwA Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook