The Moto 360 was the first smartwatch to actually look like a watch with its round design. Other manufacturers followed suit, but the Moto 360 proved to be the most popular Android Wear watch over the past year, even with its flat-tire look.
Now Motorola has refined the Moto 360 for 2015 with two sizes and added a Moto 360 Sport for fitness enthusiasts. They are the first smartwatches that you can truly customize through the Moto Maker Design Studio. Customers can choose from additional bezels, colors, materials, even a new double wrap band.
Both the Moto 360 and Moto 360 Sport are powered by Android Wear, which means Google Now notifications and thousands of apps from Google Play are available. However, Motorola offers a couple of apps exclusive to the Moto 360: Live Dials and Moto Body. Live Dials makes it easier to find the apps you use the most, while Moto Body lets you know what your heart rate is and how many calories you have burned.
The all new Moto 360
The all new Moto 360 is made of aircraft-grade 316L stainless steel and comes in two sizes: The 46mm version for men has a 1.56-inch LCD display with a resolution of 360 x 330, while the 42mm version for men and women has a 1.37-inch LCD display with a resolution of 360 x 325. Both come in at 11.4mm thick. In contrast, the Apple Watch is offered in 42mm and 38mm sizes and is 10.5mm thick.
The 46mm version will sport a 400mah battery, while the 42mm version comes in at 300mAh. Both are rated at a day and a half of mixed use with the ambient display off or one full day with the ambient display on.
The remaining difference is in the size of the bands. The men’s version takes standard 22mm bands, while the women’s version accepts 16mm.
The rest of the specs include a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, vibration/haptics engine, and optical heart rate monitor (PPG). The IP67 rating means that you never have to worry about dust, and you can safely submerge it in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.
Options include silver, black, and gold colors for the men’s 46mm and 42mm versions. Customers can also customize the bezel with either a chamfer or micro knurl finish, as well as a silver, black, or gold for the color. This means you can design a two-toned watch. Watch band choices include silver, black, and gold for metal, or black and cognac for leather.
The women’s 42mm version is available in silver, gold, and rose gold. Bezel treatments include peak and micro etch along with silver, gold, and rose gold for colors. Finally, the band choices are silver, gold, and rose gold for metal or blush and gray for leather. There is also a blush double wrap option.
Moto 360 Sport
The Moto 360 Sport is for fitness enthusiasts and features a strong silicone construction with a special UV coating that resists fading and wicks away moisture. The side ventilation channels will help keep you cool as well.
The built-in GPS tracks your speed, distance, and pace.
- 1. Moto 360 Sport
- 2. Moto 360 Sport
- 3. Moto 360 Sport
Reading the display is always an issue when running in bright sunlight. The Moto 360 Sport includes an AnyLight hybrid display, which combines a traditional backlit transmissive screen with front lit reflective technology. This means that you can read notifications in any condition.
The rest of the specs are identical to the stainless steel Moto 360.
Availability
The Moto 360 will be available in various countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Customers can preorder starting today in the U.S. on Motorola.com, the Google Store, and BestBuy.com.
Best Buy, Nordstrom, and Verizon Wireless stores will start offering the watch in late September.
Prices range from $300 to $430 depending on the selected options.
The Moto 360 Sport will launch later this year.
Next page: Previous Rumors and leaks before the launch
How about the design and specs?
The first Moto 360 was widely considered one of the best-looking smartwatches around, and it looks like its successor will continue in the same vein. Scores of leaked pictures show off the sleek new design, and now more pictures of both the small and large sizes of the next Moto 360 have leaked via @UpLeaks.
The leaker also posted a picture of a Sport version of the Moto 360, which will supposedly launch at a later date.
In late August, famous leaker Evan Blass posted a press render of what could be the small and large Moto 360 2015. It gives us further confirmation of the “flat tire” black bar at the bottom of the display, new lug connectors for the watch straps, and new button placement. The watch straps look identical to the pevious hands on images, and it’s safe to assume black and silver options will be available at the very least.
This image indicates that at least black and silver versions will be offered. The watch straps look identical to previous leaked hands on images, and unfortunately the “flat tire” look is still present.
It was revealed in mid- to late August that Motorola might be prepping two versions of the Moto 360 2015 based on documents filed with Anatel, a Brazilian telecoms agency. A Moto 360S and a Moto 360L appear in separate listings, which could mean that Motorola will offer both “small” and “large” versions of the watch. The 360S is listed with a 270mAh battery, while the Moto 360L will sport a 375mAh battery.
Pictures of both variants were posted by famous leaker, hellomotoHK. The first one is the Moto 360S next to the original Moto 360, which shows how much smaller the 360S is. The second image is of the Moto 360L, and although we don’t have a comparison, it looks to be about the same size as the original.
Reddit user ThatGuyWhoRuinedIt and Google+ user Gerrit Gödecke posted images in mid-August of what appear to be people allegedly wearing the new Moto 360 in Chicago. Much like in previous leaks, the images revealed the same “flat tire” look found on the original Moto 360, as well as watch lugs that are similar to those found on the G Watch R and the Huawei Watch.
The images also seemingly confirm the new Moto 360 will have multiple color and watch band options.
Here’s hoping the finished product has a fully circular screen and faster processor.
Evidence of the next Moto 360 came March 2015 in the form of pictures allegedly taken by none other than Yang Yuanqing, the CEO of Motorola’s parent company Lenovo. They appear to show disassembled components of second-generation Moto 360 prototypes.
It’s impossible to tell whether the images, which emerged first on Chinese microblogging website Weibo, are legitimate, but the watch bodies shown do seem to resemble the Moto 360. Particularly conspicuous are displays that appear to retain the infamous “flat tire” cropping found on the current-generation model. It’s a disappointing sight, but not necessarily cause for concern, as the captured devices could very well be early prototypes.
The noticeable differences are more encouraging. Unlike the Moto 360, which hides its watchband pins under a layer of plastic, the watch casings in the pictures have a extended lug arrangement similar to the G Watch R and recently announced Huawei Watch. That’d be a welcome change from the current design, which can make installing aftermarket bands without the help of specialized tools difficult.
When will it arrive?
It was hoped Motorola would reveal the new Moto 360 on July 28, but the roster was full of smartphones — the Moto X Style, the Moto X Play, and the Moto G 2015 — leaving no room for a smartwatch. However, its release may not be that far away.
If FCC documents are anything to go by, Motorola has already submitted the second-gen Moto 360 for regulatory approval. Droid-Life spotted filings for a Motorola “Smart Watch” with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) that underwent testing on July 22. Typically, devices are submitted for FCC approval a few weeks before their release.
Ultimately, the filing gives no more than hints of coming hardware — the Moto 360 follow-up’s final form is likely to remain a mystery for now — but they’re definitely a sign of progress. We’ll keep you updated here.
Meanwhile, Droid-Life managed to dig up another FCC filing for a “Motorola smart watch” charger. The new dock, which according to the documents is “wireless” and was used to test a “smart watch” at various levels of charge, has a circular, round base much like last year’s accessory.
Previous updates:
Updated on 8-31-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added in more leaked press renders of the small and large Moto 360, as well as leaked pics of the Sport version, which is expected to launch later on.
Updated on 8-30-2015 by Robert Nazarian: Added in new leaked press render of both the small and large Moto 360.
Updated on 8-27-2015 by Robert Nazarian: Added in news that the Moto 360 2015 will come in two sizes, along with new leaked images of both varieties.
Updated on 08-21-2015 by Williams Pelegrin: Added news of the new Moto 360 already being spotted in Chicago.
Updated on 07-29-2015 by Kyle Wiggers: Added news of the alleged second-gen Moto 360 appearing in FCC filings.
Updated on 07-27-2015 by Kyle Wiggers: Added links to FCC filings for the alleged second-gen Moto 360 charging dock.
