moto 360 vs apple watch sport

Moto 360 vs Apple Watch – Can the Apple Watch be Dethroned?

The Apple Watch and Moto 360 are some of the most popular smartwatches on the market right now. While the Apple Watch requires you to have an iPhone 5 or newer, the Moto 360 runs on devices with Android 4.3 or higher.

There are a number of similarities between the two watches. For example, they both feature eye-catching stainless steel construction and overall impressive build quality. Additionally, neither watch performs independently of its respective smartphone. Each watch features a high-quality display with crisp images and text that’s easy on the eyes.

Overview of Both

moto 360

Moto

The Moto 360 is currently one of the most upscale watches featuring an Android operating system. It has a classic wristwatch design with a circular display area, which not only ensures a comfortable fit on most wrist sizes, but also provides essential information on your wrist.

Android Wear quickly and efficiently provides the information you need at home or on the go, from weather and flight alerts to traffic and any other vital tidbits. Managing the watch is easy, as you can either use voice control to complete a task or simply scroll through the various notifications using a slight touch.

Apple

The Apple Watch is designed to provide users with an easy interactive experience. A handy digital crown lets you scroll quickly and efficiently through the various icons, letting you keep a close watch over important features such as incoming calls, new emails or text messages, and updates on your favorite social media sites.

While the watch itself is a relatively new product, it’s designed around the same Apple layout and functionality that’s found in most other Apple devices.

For example, navigation is smooth and responsive, and simple gestures such as panning and zooming are easier than ever. Even if this is your first Apple device, you’ll likely quickly get the hang of the layout.

Moto 360
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02/18/2024 12:04 am GMT

Key Features of Both

For most consumers, the key features are some of the biggest considerations when deciding whether to buy a specific smartwatch. After all, you want to invest in a watch that will best suit your lifestyle and demands – not to mention your budget. Here are some of the key features of each watch.

Style and design

Both watches stand out for their modern design and stylish appearances. While the Moto 360 features a circular face, the Apple Watch has a more traditional square face. While some consumers prefer the crisp screen of the Apple Watch, others believe that overall visibility is better on the Moto.

Both watches offer versatility but to a different extent. For example, the Moto supports six different digital watch faces. This includes analog and digital options.

However, Apple stands out more in this category. There are two sizes available: one for men and one for women. You can also choose from three distinct collections. The first, the Apple Watch collection, features a silver or black case crafted from stainless steel.

Up next is the Apple Watch Sport collection, which has a durable aluminum case available in space grey or silver, and the Apple Watch Edition with 18-carat yellow or rose gold. There are six different available strap options for the Apple Watch.

Functionality

AppleWatch 2

The Moto 360 runs on Android Wear, while the Apple Watch uses Apple’s iOS software. Both watches are designed to perform similar tasks. For example, you can install apps, make and receive calls, and send text messages with either watch.

Additionally, you can request assistance from a voice assistant. On the Apple Watch this means speaking to Siri, or conversing with Google Now on the Moto 360. You can view social media notifications, display photos, play music, and more on both watches.

Fitness Tracking

It’s easy to track your health and fitness through both watches, as each device comes with a heart rate sensor and a pedometer.

You can also count on both watches to keep track of your daily activities and even encourage you to reach specified exercise goals. If you go with the Apple Watch, you will get to take advantage of an accelerometer that measures body movements.

Moto Body, featured on the Moto 360, is a built-in activity tracker that helps you reach your fitness goals by recording your activity levels throughout the day, providing coaching advice, and giving you access to information such as the total number of steps taken or distance covered in a day or your most recent heart rate and heart activity levels.

Pros and Cons of Both Watches

Moto 360

One of the Moto 360’s greatest features is its large screen. Due to its circular shape, many owners note that it’s quite easy to see just about everything you need on the Moto’s screen. When combined with the narrow bezels, it’s no wonder why so many users praise the 360’s generous screen size.

Navigation is quite simple on this phone, and you can easily find and open or access your favorite apps faster than you can with the Apple Watch. This intuitive design makes the 360 particularly suitable for watch-wearers who are constantly on the go.

In comparison to the Apple Watch, the Moto lags behind when it comes to apps. There aren’t as many options, although the Moto 360 is increasingly offering more apps for its users.

Examples of some of the latest available apps include Facebook Messenger, iHeartRadio, Pinterest, and Lyft. Although this watch currently has a small selection of apps to choose from, the ones it does display are vital for many consumers.

Apple Watch

mobile watch hand apple man person technology photography clock finger gadget black arm device close up wrist digital photograph beauty apple watch accessory wearing sense smartwatch

If you detest the thought of having to scroll through an array of icons on a tiny screen, you’ll really appreciate the Apple’s Digital Crown. Unlike a traditional watch crown, which is primarily used to set the time and date, this crown affords quick and precise scrolling through various icons without worrying about obstructed views.

Aside from scrolling, you can also use the crown to zoom in or out of photos and input data. Neither watch has great battery life, and most users should expect to charge their Apple or Moto watch at least once per day (typically at night) or even sooner, depending on how you use the watch.

Unlike the Moto, Apple’s watch comes with a handy power reserve mode. This mode helps to conserve battery life by turning off any unnecessary functions once the battery becomes critically low.

While the Apple Watch presents itself as a fitness-oriented watch, especially if you pick up the Sport edition, its readings and signals tend to be a bit inaccurate, especially when compared to a typical fitness watch.

You’re much more likely to get accurate and straightforward workout results with your average running watch than you are with the Apple Watch. The same is true for the Moto 360, although the Moto isn’t really advertised as a sports watch.

Comparison: Apple Watch vs Moto 360

Here’s a brief look at some of the most notable features of these two watches.

Apple Watch Moto 360
Size 38-42mm; some models have specific sizes for men and women 40mm
Operating system Apple iOS Android Wear; compatible with devices running Android 4.3 or higher
Display Traditional square shape Modern circular shape
Battery life Can last up to 18 hours before recharge; features a power reserve Designed to last all day; requires nightly recharges
Memory 512 MB 512 MB
Storage 8 GB 4 GB
Key Features Siri voice command; heart rate sensor; GPS; accelerometer; Force Touch to distinguish between taps and harder presses Water-resistant; wireless charging; built-in pedometer and heart rate monitor; “OK Google” voice command

Should I Buy Now or Wait?

Both the Moto 360 and the Apple Watch are packed with features and generally offer a lot of bang for your buck. The Moto 360 earns lots of praise for its modern circular-shaped face, which makes viewing icons and other information much easier. However, the Apple Watch is the smartwatch of choice for consumers who want a feature-rich product.

Both watches require a compatible phone to operate. Neither one offers much greater battery life than the other (both are said to last one full day on a single charge).

However, if budget is a concern, the Moto 360, with a price tag of $149, is a more affordable option. The Apple Watch has a starting price of $349, with a range of over $10,000 for higher-end models.

If you’re deciding whether to buy now or wait, one of the main considerations is the impending release of newer versions of both watches. While no solid release dates have been set, it is believed that newer versions of both smartwatches will hit the market this fall.

According to the official Apple website, its next watch will feature a wider selection of faces along with faster and more powerful apps, better communication options, and more ways to personalize the device. There isn’t any official information up on Motorola’s website about the upcoming Moto 360 2.

However, wareable.com suggests that the new watch will likely feature a higher resolution screen, a smaller size, better customization options, and straps that can easily be swapped out.

Right now, I’d go with the Moto 360 due to the lower entry-level price tag. I own both watches personally, but if I were in the market today I’d be waiting for the Apple Watch to increase it’s functionality. Right now the Apple Watch just is not really worth the extreme price difference.